PowerPoint's hypnotic effect is no coincidence, according to an Australian researcher who found reasons why the Microsoft software-generated slide presentations put spectators to sleep.
The brain simply isn't wired to absorb information in two simultaneous forms as well as it takes in one type of information. Processing the written and spoken word at the same time creates quite a challenge for the mind, according to John Sweller, a researcher from the University of New South Wales.
So who is this John Sweller?
A google query brought up this wikipedia entry where I find out that he is known for an informational theory called "cognitive load".
In my simple terms, I understand cognitive load to be an explanation of how the brain processes information. There are three terms related to this theory.
- Intrinsic cognitive load - that which is inherent to the topic (presenter has no chance of altering this), the presenter can split the explanation of the topic into schemas and subschemas and have one build upon the other to paint the full picture
- Extraneous cognitive load - when describing a square with words vs. drawing a picture, the words are extraneous
- Germane cognitive load - the manipulation of the schemas and subschemas in telling the story
Interesting stuff.
The next time you have a chance to do a PowerPoint, keep it simple!
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