Abstract
Decorative pictures have been shown to be detrimental to multimedia learning. This study aims to determine whether a decorative picture is detrimental only when it is attention-grabbing. In Experiment 1, we presented the participants with learning materials containing a decorative picture and asked them to rate the extent to which the picture was attention-grabbing. We systematically manipulated the elements of decorative pictures and identified position, size, and color as attention-grabbing factors. Based on these findings, we developed learning materials that included more or less attention-grabbing decorative pictures. Experiment 2 revealed that texts with more attention-grabbing decorative pictures were fixated on for shorter periods than those without pictures. However, Experiment 3 demonstrated that the attention-grabbing decorative pictures did not hinder learning. These results suggest that while decorative pictures can attract attention, they do not impede learning. Considering their positive effect on motivation, incorporating attention-grabbing decorative pictures into learning materials would enhance learning.