Do Films Make You Learn? Inference Processes in Expository Film Comprehension

The present article examines how suitable expository films are for learning. This question was motivated by the assumption that films are processed in a superficial manner. However, previous research has been dominated by the analyses of outcome measures and has never taken a look at online measures so that no clear conclusions have been drawn. Experiment 1 analyzed online local causal bridging inferences that are crucial for the understanding of complex scientific matters. Using a naming paradigm, it could be demonstrated that local causal bridging inferences are generated during film reception. This holds true for film viewers and audiotape listeners. Experiment 2 analyzed whether participants were able to integrate the inferred information into a coherent mental model. We found that for at least one item set, both film viewers and audiotape listeners integrated implicit information into a mental model. To further clarify the role of the pictorial information in films for the comprehension process, Experiment 3 analyzed the extent to which pictorial information can compensate for coherence breaks due to missing verbal information in the auditory channel. We found that, on a local level, pictorial information can compensate for missing verbal information, but not on a global level.