Effects of Augmented Reality Combined with Cartoon Narratives on the Effectiveness of Agricultural Science Communication

Using the “Every Grain to the Granary: Reducing Losses in Mechanical Grain Harvesting” project (2024) of the Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, as an empirical case, this study examines how augmented reality (AR) integrated with cartoon narratives functions in agricultural science communication. Drawing on cognitive load theory and affective motivation theory, we construct a dual-pathway model comprising a “cognitive path” and an “affective path.” A randomized group experiment (n = 118) shows that the AR + cartoon narrative condition induces significantly lower extraneous cognitive load than either traditional graphics-and-text or single-format video (both p < 0.001). The AR + cartoon narrative mode also yields higher affective motivation, better knowledge mastery, and higher behavioral adoption rate. Logistic regression indicates that lower extraneous load, higher affective motivation, and higher knowledge mastery jointly drive behavioral adoption, confirming the synergistic action of the cognitive–affective dual pathways. These findings align with the real-world dissemination outcomes of the case project, offering a pathway to address the challenges of “difficulty in understanding, weak memory retention, and low adoption” in agricultural science communication, and responding to the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Science and Technology Popularization and its call for innovation in science communication.