Psychological Development and Education ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (4): 482-490.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2025.04.04

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The Effect of Pedagogical Agent on Cognitive Absorption and Its Internal Mechanism

HENG Shupeng1,2, ZHAO Huanfang1, ZHOU Zongkui3   

  1. 1. Faculty of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007;
    2. Faculty of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004;
    3. Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079
  • Published:2025-07-12

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Abstract: The present study tested whether pedagogical agent(PA) can improve cognitive absorption, and whether social presence would mediate the association between pedagogical agent(PA) and cognitive absorption, and the effect of individuals’ tendency to form parasocial relationships (TPSR). The experiment employed a 2(Agent: PA vs.non-PA)×2( TPSR: high vs.low) between-subjects design.Participants (n=92) were dichotomized into high TPSR (n=45) and low TPSR (n=47), and randomly assigned to PA group (n=47) or non-PA group (n=45). Results of ANOVAs showed that there were main effects for pedagogical agent and for TPSR on both social presence and cognitive absorption, and there was also a significant interaction between PA and TPSR for both dependent variables.The results also revealed a mediated moderation.TPSR moderated the effect of PA on cognitive absorption, and the moderating effect of TPSR was mediated by social presence.

Key words: pedagogical agent, tendency to form parasocial relationships, social presence, cognitive absorption

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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