Incidental learning from science journalism : the effects of a narrative writing style on the comprehension and situational interest of Austrian non-experts in health sciences

Ameseder, Christian (author), Devetak, Iztok (author), Skubic, Darija (author)

Austrian non-experts in health sciences often lack the scientific knowledge to make informed decisions that affect their daily lives and society as a whole. In general, their interest in current scientific knowledge is low, so it is unlikely that they will actively seek out information. Adult non-experts therefore need to acquire relevant scientific information incidentally, e.g., by reading journalistic articles. Journalistic articles traditionally follow an inverted pyramid structure, presenting the most important information first, while narratives unfold events chronologically with intentionally acting characters. Journalistic science narratives provide information that is usually missing in inverted pyramids. This additional information may increase situational interest in journalistic science narratives. Most people are confronted with narratives more often than with explanatory texts in everyday life and can therefore process them better. Due to the linear structure, relevant information elements are automatically activated at the same time, which further facilitates processing. An online study in the context of online science journalism on nutrition topics was conducted in Austria with 461 adult non-experts in health sciences recruited via online platforms. The dependent variables comprehension, cognitive load and situational interest were investigated using a multipletier test and self-reports. The results indicate significantly higher comprehension and general situational interest and significantly lower cognitive load after reading journalistic science narratives compared to inverted pyramids. However, situational interest in journalistic science narratives was significantly lower after participants had read the first paragraph. It then increased and was significantly higher than that for inverted pyramids for the rest of the article. Therefore, journalistic science narratives with a strictly chronological structure should be used with caution. When initial situational interest is low, individuals may stop reading before they have enough information to fully comprehend the content. In addition, higher situational interest is correlated with a lower perception of cognitive load.

• Language: English
• Keywords: incidental learning, narrative science journalism, cognitive load, comprehension, situational interest, storytelling
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 201–234
• Numbering: Vol. 16, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-189677
• UDC: 070:001
• ISSN on article: 2232-2647
• DOI: 10.26529/cepsj.1899
• COBISS.SI-ID: 223814403
• Publication date in RUL: 12.10.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: CEPS Journal : Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal = revija Centra za študij edukacijskih strategij
• Publisher: Pedagoška fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-2647
• COBISS.SI-ID: 254029824

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Naključno učenje iz znanstvenega novinarstva : učinki pripovednega sloga pisanja na razumevanje in situacijsko zanimanje avstrijskih nestrokovnjakov na področju zdravstvenih ved

Abstract

Avstrijci, ki niso strokovnjaki na področju zdravstvenih ved, pogosto nimajo dovolj znanstvenega znanja za sprejemanje na informacijah temelječih odločitev, ki vplivajo na njihovo vsakodnevno življenje in družbo kot celoto. Na splošno je njihovo zanimanje za aktualno znanstveno znanje majhno, zato je malo verjetno, da bodo aktivno iskali informacije. Odrasli nestrokovnjaki morajo zato ustrezne znanstvene informacije pridobiti naključno, npr. z branjem novinarskih člankov. Novinarski članki tradicionalno sledijo strukturi obrnjene piramide in najprej predstavijo najpomembnejše informacije, medtem ko pripovedi kronološko razvijajo dogodke z namensko delujočimi liki. Novinarske znanstvene pripovedi zagotavljajo informacije, ki jih v obrnjenih piramidah običajno ni. Te dodatne informacije lahko povečajo situacijsko zanimanje za novinarske znanstvene pripovedi. Večina ljudi se v vsakdanjem življenju pogosteje srečuje s pripovedmi kot z razlagalnimi besedili in jih zato lahko bolje obdela. Zaradi linearne strukture se pomembni informacijski elementi hkrati samodejno aktivirajo, kar še dodatno olajša obdelavo. V Avstriji je bila izvedena spletna študija v okviru spletnega znanstvenega novinarstva o prehranskih temah, v kateri je sodelovalo 461 odraslih nestrokovnjakov s področja zdravstvenih ved, ki so bili pozvani prek spletne platforme. Odvisne spremenljivke razumevanja, kognitivnih obremenitev in situacijsko zanimanje so bile raziskane s večstopenjskim testom in samoporočanjem. Rezultati kažejo na boljše razumevanje in splošni situacijsko zanimanje ter bistveno manjšo kognitivno obremenitev po branju novinarskih znanstvenih pripovedi v primerjavi z obrnjenimi piramidami. Situacijsko zanimanje za novinarske znanstvene pripovedi je bilo bistveno manjše, ko so udeleženci prebrali prvi odstavek. Nato se je povečalo in je bilo v preostalem delu članka pomembno večje kot pri obrnjenih piramidah. Zato je treba novinarske znanstvene pripovedi s strogo kronološko strukturo uporabljati previdno. Kadar je začetno situacijsko zanimanje majhno, lahko posamezniki prenehajo brati, še preden dobijo dovolj informacij za popolno razumevanje vsebine. Poleg tega je večje situacijsko zanimanje povezano z manjšim poznavanjem kognitivnih obremenitev.

• Keywords: naključno učenje, narativno znanstveno novinarstvo, kognitivna obremenitev, razumevanje, situacijsko zanimanje, pripovedovanje zgodb, znanost, novinarstvo