Learning Magnitudes of Energy Consumption with Symbolic or Iconic Representations

Learning about the magnitude of energy consumption is crucial for responsible energy management in today’s society. This study investigates the use of symbolic and iconic representations for learning and mentally comparing the energy consumption of (sets of) appliances. We conducted an experiment in which participants learned about the magnitude of energy consumption either with symbolic representations (Arabic numerals) or with iconic representations (bars of different heights). Participants then performed a recall and a mental comparison task varying in the number of appliances involved and in the distance in energy consumption on both sides. The findings indicate that both types of representations allow learning magnitudes. Moreover, the results showed a distance effect indicating that mental comparisons are conducted with analog internal representations. Finally, compared to symbolic representations, mental comparisons of magnitudes learned with iconic representations, despite being slightly less accurate, were much faster. These results suggest that iconic representations can be an effective tool in environmental education and communication.