The findings from Study 1 replicate several but not all of the
findings of Um et al. (2011). Our results indicate that positive
emotions can be induced through design (Hypothesis 1), and that
emotional design facilitates cognitive processes and learning
(Hypothesis 2). Specifically, we found that by employing a positive
emotional design, using a combination of the visual design elements
of color and shape, a positive emotional state can be induced
that is sustained throughout the learning task. Furthermore,
learners who studied materials that were designed to induce positive
emotions performed better on comprehension outcomes than
those who learned from a neutral design. However, we did not find
support for the effect of positive emotional design on measures of
knowledge transfer. Positive emotions induced through design
reduced perceived task difficulty and increased levels of learning
motivation (Hypothesis 3), but did not affect satisfaction or
perception of learning achievement.
We also found indication that emotional design induces different
kinds of emotions compared to using a cartoon as mood induction
procedure. The differences in the patterns of learning outcomes
fromemotional design versusmoodinduction suggest that although
both mood induction methods were successful, showing a medium
to large effect on positive emotions for the cartoon (Cohen’s d¼.68),
and a large effect for the emotional design (Cohen’s d ¼ .88), they
work in differentways. Our data showed that themoodinduction via
cartoon increased the emotions excited, enthusiastic, determined, and
attentive, whereas the emotional design increased inspired and
interested. The only emotion that both methods affected was
enthusiastic, but the effect for emotional design on this emotion did
not reach statistical significance. These findings are reflected in the
reduced task difficulty and increased level of motivation experienced
by learners who received the positive design.
Interpreting this from a CATLM perspective, the emotions
experienced by learners receiving the cartoon, namely excited,
enthusiastic, determined, and attentive, appear to have impacted
their ability to construct a mental model that allowed them to apply
their knowledge to new situations, but did not focus them on the
specific details required to perform well on the comprehension test