Anthropomorphisms in multimedia learning: Do they facilitate learning in primary school learners?

There is some evidence suggesting that emotional design, such as anthropomorphised graphics, facilitates learning. However, a growing number of studies are reporting that anthropomorphised graphics have little to no significant effect on learning. In light of the debate in the field, this article reports on a study that investigated the effect of anthropomorphised graphics on learning. Fifty-five primary school learners participated in the study. A quasi-experimental post-test research design tested the hypothesis that emotional design in the form of anthropomorphised graphics can facilitate learning. The results indicated that anthropomorphised graphics had no significant effect on participants' recall or comprehension. We conclude that some anthropomorphised graphics could merely be decorative graphic elements and may not always improve learning outcomes. It is only when a graphic becomes instructional and moves away from being decorative that it acquires the potential to facilitate learning.