ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
This article is part of the Research TopicCognitive, Affective, Behavioral and Multidimensional Domain Research in STEM Education: Active Approaches and Methods towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Volume IIView all 4 articles
Feel it to learn it!- Cognitive and motivational effects of haptic learning materials
Provisionally accepted
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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Haptic learning materials have been increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance cognitive and motivational aspects of learning. This study examines the effects of using haptic anatomical models compared to visual representations in learning environments. The research specifically investigates the impact of haptic materials on learning success, intrinsic motivation, and cognitive load, considering individual differences in the Need for Touch (NFT). Using an experimental design, 87 university students participated in a study where they engaged with either haptic or visual materials on anatomical structures. Results showed no significant difference in overall learning success between the two conditions. However, haptic materials led to lower extraneous cognitive load and higher germane cognitive load in certain contexts, suggesting improved information processing. Additionally, intrinsic motivation was significantly higher in the haptic condition for specific learning content. Regression analyses revealed that students with a high NFT particularly benefited from haptic models, experiencing reduced extraneous load and increased intrinsic motivation. These findings highlight the relevance of haptic materials in optimizing cognitive load and motivation, contributing to embodied learning theories. Future research should explore the long-term effects of haptic learning and its applications across diverse educational contexts.
Keywords: anatomical models, Cognitive Load, haptic learning, intrinsic motivation, learning with models, Need for touch
Received: 24 Nov 2025; Accepted: 16 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Erdmann, Montag, Büscher and Zander. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hannah Sophie Erdmann
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