Journal of Education and Psychology

Abstract

This study used a 3 (positive vs. neutral vs. negative) × 2 (VCD story vs. written story) × 2 (male vs. female) experimental design to estimate the effects of information input and emotion on fifth grader’s comprehension performance. Six classes of fifth graders were selected from two public elementary schools in Kaohsiung city and were randomly assigned to one of the experimental conditions explored whether the participants correctly recall the information for VCD story and written story of different emotional orientation (positive, neutral, and negative). Students were randomly assigned to six experimental conditions by class. The data collected from the participants were analyzed statistically with a one-way ANOVA and a three-way MANOVA. According to the result of one-way ANOVA, no significant difference was found in Chinese language exam among the six classes: this result indicated that the reading ability among these six classes is equal.

According to the result of three-way MANOVA, there was no significant interaction between information input, emotion and gender was found. With regard to the comprehension test, the main effect of information was not significant on the percent correct of the whole comprehension test. However, the main effect of emotion was significant on the percent correct of literal and critical comprehension; moreover, students receiving the positive emotional information had a better performance on the percent correct of literal comprehension, but students receiving the neutral and negative emotional information had a better performance on the percent correct of critical comprehension.

According to the result, teachers and parents should choose teaching material with more emotional stimulus in order to improve students’ memory and comprehension.

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