Diagnostic information integration in audio-visual learning: The benefits of visual content versus the challenges of auditory elements

This study employs a family resemblance-based classification paradigm to investigate the integration mechanisms and asymmetries involved in the processing of diagnostic information across multiple dimensions. Two experiments were conducted, involving 153 college students. Computational models were used to analyze the class representations generated during the learning process. In Experiment 1, the impact of auditory diagnostic information on visual category learning was examined. Auditory diagnostic information was manipulated at three levels: high (0.9), consistent (0.75), and low (0.6). The results showed that when auditory and visual diagnostic information were consistent, learners could process the features of both channels more effectively, resulting in a positive effect of cross-channel integration. Experiment 2 focused on examining the impact of visual diagnostic information…