Short overview about Cognitive Load Theory and its application in Information Systems research.

1. 31. Januar 2015
IS Research – Group: Information Overload
Working Memory in IS Research
Philipp Hechler

2. 31. Januar 2015 2IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
• Research Question
• Basic: Cognitive Load Theory
• Results - Example: Zhu and Watts, 2010
• Discussion
Agenda

3. 31. Januar 2015 3IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
Research Question
How is human “working memory utilization”
analyzed IS research?
Cognitive Load
Theory
Cognitive psychology
Assumtion
Result
How is study working memory in psychology?

4. 31. Januar 2015 4IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
Research Question
How is human “working memory utilization”
analyzed IS research?
Cognitive Load
Theory
Cognitive psychology
Assumtion
How is study working memory in psychology?
Result
Information Systems literature analysis Theory used
Research found
How is working memory
studied in IS research?

5. 31. Januar 2015 5IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
Basic: Cognitive Load Theory
Information processing (Plass et al., 2010)
Working Memory
Sensual
observation (not in
focus of CLT)
External Signal
Schema
Unusable results –
no learning
Long-term memory
(unlimited)
XOR

6. 31. Januar 2015 6IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
Basic: Cognitive Load Theory
Working Memory
Sensual
observation (not in
focus of CLT)
External Signal
Schema
Unusable results –
no learning
Long-term
mnemory
(unlimited)
XOR
Information processing (Plass et al., 2010)
Working memory (Plass et al., 2010)

7. 31. Januar 2015 7IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
Results - Example: Zhu and Watts, 2010
Zhu and Watts, 2010
Similar to Cognitive Load Theory
definitions:
Independent variables:
• Information Load => Intrinsic Load
• Cognitive Fit => Extraneous Load
• WMC = Working Memory Capacity –
same construct as in Cognitive Load
Theory
Depending variable:
• Task performance: understanding of data
presentation and answering question.
(schema creation)

8. 31. Januar 2015 8
Results - Example: Zhu and Watts, 2010
Zhu and Watts, 2010
Circle Force

9. 31. Januar 2015 9IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
Results - Example: Zhu and Watts, 2010
Results in line Cognitive Load Theory predictions:
• Intrinsic Load and Extraneous Load can “overflow” working memory  (no capacity for Germane Load) low task
performance (schema creation)
• Working Memory Capacity (WMC) only influences task performance when Intrinsic and Extraneous Load are high
•  only if overall load could overflow capacity, humans with high WMC could perform better
 Cognitive Load Theory could have been applied here
Zhu and Watts, 2010
Circle Force

10. 31. Januar 2015 10IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
References:
• Paas, F., Renkl, A., Sweller, J., 2003a. Cognitive Load Theory and Instructional De-sign: Recent
Developments. Educ. Psychol. 38, 1–4. doi:10.1207/S15326985EP3801_1
• Plass, J.L., Moreno, R., Brünken, R., 2010. Cognitive load theory. Cambridge Uni-versity Press,
Cambridge; New York.
• Zhu, B., Watts, S.A., 2010. Visualization of Network Concepts: The Impact of Working Memory
Capacity Differences. Inf. Syst. Res. 21, 327–344. doi:10.1287/isre.1080.0215
Backup - References

11. 31. Januar 2015 11IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
Information Systems Research:
Why using “old” psychological models,
with “modern” image based medical brain activity scanners at hand?
Discussion
http://images.iop.org/objects/med/news/5/8/43/pic2.jpg
http://www.mccauslandcenter.sc.edu/green/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/MR-EEG_data.gif
http://cobocards.s3.amazonaws.com/card/480_300/1/1s43l0214.jpg
V.S.

12. 31. Januar 2015 12IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler
2. Question:
Is there a distinction between “learning” and “understanding” in short-term view?
Discussion

13. 31. Januar 2015 13IS Research Seminar – Philipp Hechler