Dual Coding: Words + Images = Better Recall

Paivio's Dual Coding Theory (1971, later formalized) proposes that information is stored in verbal and imagistic systems. When both are activated simultaneously (e.g., a diagram with a label), recall is significantly better than text or image alone. Meta-analyses confirm 89% better recall for dual-coded material versus text-only.

📚 Paivio (1971, 1986); Mayer (2001), Multimedia Learning