Is there power in PowerPoint? A field test of the efficacy of PowerPoint on memory and recall of religious sermons

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of PowerPoint as an information communication tool would enhance recall of information presented in a non-classroom field setting. We examined the effect of PowerPoint on the recall of information presented in religious sermons. Three test conditions were examined: (1) PowerPoint slides containing words only, (2) slides containing visual images only, and (3) slides containing both words and visual images, along with a control condition in which information was presented without the use of the PowerPoint slides. In addition, we tested the type of information recall: information about the slides, information about the slide content, and general recall of information from the sermon. While there were limited differences in recall based on the treatment conditions and the type of information being recalled, overall the use of the PowerPoint slides did not appear to have a significant effect on subjects’ ability to recall information. We conclude that greater effort must be made to understand the effects of PowerPoint presentations on human memory and cognition.

► We examine the effects of PowerPoint slides on recall of information presented in religious sermons.
► Multiple forms of PowerPoint format were used: words only, images only, words and images, and a control condition.
► Information recall included recall of the slides, content of the slides, and recall of general sermon information.
► Overall the use of PowerPoint had no significant effect on subjects’ ability to recall information.