| Abstract.;The theoretical foundations of cognitive load theory posit that some forms of learning can.;actually increase cognitive load levels, thus hindering learning. It is not known to what.;extent non biological movement within a physical learning environment might affect.;cognitive load levels during learning. The purpose of this study was to determine the.;effect of continuous and intermittent non biological movement, presented in the far.;peripheral visual field on cognitive load levels in males and females. The first two.;research questions address the effect of continuous non biological movement on gender.;and the last two research questions address the effect of intermittent non biological.;movement on gender. The test sample of 126 individuals was taken from a population of.;male (n=63) and female (n=63) office workers in Huntsville, Alabama, between the ages.;of 20 and 70 years. A quantitative methodology employing a 2-way between subjects.;experimental design was used to collect the total time required to complete a cognitive.;task in the presence of the movement types. An ANOVA was used to analyze mean.;differences in the task completion times between the experimental groups. The results.;indicated that the main effects of gender, F(2, 125) = .456, p > .05 and movement, F(2,;125) = .208, p >.05, were not statistically significant. The interaction effects between the.;independent variables gender and movement were also not significant, F(2, 125) = 1.528,;p > .05. The fact that non biological sensory inputs had no effect on cognitive load levels.;suggests the possibility that this type of sensory input might represent a type of.;biologically primary information that is not limited by working memory capacity.;Keywords: cognitive load, gender effects, far peripheral vision, physical learning.;environment. |
