The Expertise Reversal Effect

The expertise reversal effect was initially predicted by cognitive load theory as a form of the redundancy effect (see Chapter 11) that occurs when information beneficial to novice learners becomes redundant to those more knowledgeable. It is one of several cognitive load effects that rely on an interaction between a basic cognitive load effect, in this case the redundancy effect, and other factors, in this case levels of expertise. As an example of the expertise reversal effect, detailed textual explanations, especially if they are embedded into diagrams thus reducing the possibility of ignoring them, may be essential for novices but redundant for experts.