Let’s be honest: learning isn’t always exciting, especially when it is mandatory. That’s why we often try to make learning material more appealing by adding seductive details—think of interesting pictures or anecdotes. But does that really help? You might think my answer would be no, but recent research by Wesenberg and colleagues shows that the answer depends on the context.

When learning feels mandatory, for example, because it’s part of a degree program or a course with a diploma as a reward, enticing details can distract and disrupt the learning process. Students are already motivated by external stimuli and don’t need any extra pull to stay engaged. In this case, adding irrelevant but fascinating information only increases the cognitive load and can even harm performance.

On the other hand, in situations where learning is voluntary, enticing details can actually help. Think of a museum visit or reading an interesting article in your spare time. Here, an extra stimulus such as a catchy story or a striking image can hold attention and arouse interest, leading to better learning results. This effect is powerful if the subject matter itself is not very interesting.

What does this mean in practice? It is important to think carefully about how you design your teaching material. If motivation is already high, stick to the essentials and avoid unnecessary embellishments. But if you notice that attention is waning or that students are not very engaged, experiment with well-chosen details that tie in with the subject.

Seductive details are not good or bad in themselves; it depends on how and when you use them. It is all about the right balance between motivation and focus. A well-designed learning environment considers the needs and motivation of the target group, and that is a lesson we can all learn from.

Abstract of the study:

Background
The inclusion of interesting but irrelevant elements (seductive details) in learning environments can increase students’ motivation but also extraneous cognitive load. Accordingly, research mainly suggests detrimental effects on learning. However, most studies were conducted with participants who were extrinsically motivated to engage with the learning material anyway.
Aims
We assumed that presenting seductive details would impair learning when extrinsic motivation is high but improve learning when extrinsic motivation is low because the motivational potential that could be exploited through seductive details is greater and, thus, the motivational benefits might outweigh the cognitive disadvantages.
Sample and method
Two experimental studies (N = 120; N = 210) were conducted, which followed a 2 × 2 mixed design. The presence of seductive details was manipulated between subjects (with vs. without). External regulation – as one type of extrinsic motivation – was manipulated within subjects (low vs. high) by introducing the respective learning unit as either voluntary or mandatory.
Results
Results of both experiments showed that presenting seductive details only impaired test performance in high external regulation units but had no effect or even improved learning in low external regulation units. Additionally, in both studies, seductive details indirectly improved test performance via interest only in low external regulation units.
Conclusions
The results emphasize that the inclusion of seductive details should not be seen as unfavorable per se but as a trade-off between motivational advantages and cognitive disadvantages. Hence, whether seductive details impede or promote learning considerably depends on how much learners are motivated beforehand.