Effects of Concurrent Irrelevant Visual Stimuli on Learning Outcomes in Midwifery Education

November 2, 2026 updated by: Fatma Şule Bilgiç

Split Attention in Midwifery Education: Effects of Concurrent Irrelevant Visual Stimuli - A Randomised Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial was designed to evaluate the effects of concurrent instructionally irrelevant visual stimuli on learning-related outcomes among third-year midwifery students. Participants were assigned to either a split-screen educational condition or a standard instructional condition. Both groups received the same 45-minute theoretical session on delivery-room management of the newborn. The intervention group was exposed to an unrelated soap-cutting video displayed concurrently with the educational presentation, whereas the control group received standard PowerPoint-supported instruction. The primary outcome was attitude toward learning. Secondary outcomes included theoretical knowledge, state anxiety, academic motivation, and satisfaction with the teaching method. Outcomes were assessed immediately after the educational session.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The study used a two-arm, parallel-group, post-test-only randomized controlled design.

Eligible third-year midwifery students who had not previously completed the Newborn and Child Health course were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups using a computer-generated sequence prepared through Randomizer.org.

The educational session addressed physiological transition from fetal to neonatal life, prenatal and delivery-room preparation, thermal management, rapid neonatal assessment, umbilical-cord management, initial newborn care, and early skin-to-skin contact.

Both groups received standardized theoretical instruction delivered by the same instructor using identical educational materials and session duration.

In the intervention group, an instructionally irrelevant soap-cutting video was presented in the lower portion of the screen while the lecture slides remained visible above it. The control group received conventional PowerPoint-supported instruction without additional visual stimulation.

The educational intervention lasted 45 minutes. Outcome measures were administered immediately after the session.

The study was designed to investigate whether concurrent irrelevant visual stimulation influenced students' attitudes toward learning and related educational outcomes.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
103

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

No older than 18 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Third-year midwifery students. Students who had not previously completed the Newborn and Child Health course. Willingness to participate and provision of written informed consent. Ability to attend the entire educational session.

Exclusion Criteria:

Previous completion of the Newborn and Child Health course. Severe visual or hearing impairment preventing participation in the audiovisual educational session.

Inability to attend the complete teaching session.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Arm 1 - Experimental: Split-Screen Instruction

Participants received a 45-minute PowerPoint-supported educational session on delivery-room management of the newborn while an unrelated soap-cutting video was displayed concurrently beneath the presentation slides.
Other: Split-Screen Educational Presentation With Irrelevant Visual Stimulus

A standardized 45-minute theoretical educational session accompanied by a concurrent, instructionally irrelevant soap-cutting video displayed beneath the lecture slides.
Other: Arm 2 - Active Comparator: Standard Instruction

Participants received the same 45-minute PowerPoint-supported educational session without any additional irrelevant visual stimulus.
Other: Standard PowerPoint-Supported Education

Participants received a standardized 45-minute theoretical educational session on delivery-room management of the newborn using PowerPoint presentations without additional irrelevant visual stimuli.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Attitude Toward Learning Scale (ATLS) Score
Time Frame: Immediately after completion of the 45-minute educational session.

Attitude toward learning was assessed using the 40-item Attitude Toward Learning Scale. Items are rated using a five-point Likert response format. Higher total scores indicate more positive attitudes toward learning.
Immediately after completion of the 45-minute educational session.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Theoretical Knowledge Score
Time Frame: Immediately after the educational session.

Theoretical knowledge regarding delivery-room management of the newborn was assessed using a researcher-developed 10-item multiple-choice test. Total scores range from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge.
Immediately after the educational session.
State Anxiety Score
Time Frame: Immediately after the educational session.

State anxiety was assessed using the 20-item State Anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Total scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater state anxiety.
Immediately after the educational session.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Fatma Şule Bilgiç

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Aydin Adnan Menderes University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 10, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 23, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 3, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 123456

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data underlying the published results, including demographic characteristics, study group allocation, attitude toward learning, theoretical knowledge, state anxiety, academic motivation, and satisfaction scores, will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to ethical and institutional requirements.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

De-identified individual participant data will be available beginning six months after publication of the study results and will remain available for five years.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

De-identified data will be available to qualified researchers upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. Requests will be evaluated based on scientific purpose, ethical considerations, and data confidentiality requirements.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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