Reading between the Words: Strategies for Improving

the Readability of Printed Text

Christopher D. Nicholas, PhD

Webinar | April 25, 2012

@UserCentricIncFollow:    #uxlunch

• PhD  MIT,  Linguis=cs

• Harvard  Fellow

• Professor  of  Linguis=cs,  Psychology,  Cogni=ve  Science,  Neuroscience  

• Department  Chair,  University  of  Arizona  (Linguis=cs),  University  of  Rochester  (BCS)

• Co-­‐founder  of  the  Journal  Cogni&on• Interna=onally  recognized  exper=se  in  reading  comprehension  and  techniques  that  improve  readability  of  print  through  linguis=cally  and  psychologically  informed  text  formaSng

• Winner  of  Humboldt  Research  Award  –  2010

Thomas  Bever,  PhD

Christopher  Nicholas,  PhD

• PhD  in  Neuroscience

• Exper=se  in  the  how  the  brain  perceives  and  interprets    words  and  leZers

• Director  of  Development,  Language  Technologies,  Inc.

• Chief  Technology  Officer,  ReadSmart

• Instructor,  University  of  Arizona  

• Co-­‐inventor  of  several  pending  patents  for  improving  text  composi=on  and  an  ebook  format,  packaging,  and  distribu=on  system  for  mobile  devices  

Outline

~ How reading works

~ How phrase-formatted text can help

~ Laboratory studies

~ Field studies

~ Direct marketing case studies

~ Take away

How reading works

2°

2°

2°  is  approximatelyequal  to  the  width  of  1-­‐2  fingers  at  arms  length

Fovea ~ 2º of visual angle

Some details about reading

•Reading is made up of a series of eye movements, called saccades. Between the saccades, peoples’ gaze stops or !xates on what they are reading.

•Fixations typically last ~200-250 ms

•During a !xation, people see roughly 7-15 characters or ~ 2-2.5 words

•e average English word has 5.5 letters

How reading looks in real time...

Another detail: ~ 1 in 6 characters is a space.

How text formatting helps

Ragged-right textSpaces sizes between words are even within and across lines.

Right justi!ed textSpaces sizes are even within a given line.

In print, spaces are not informative to readers.But it wasn’t always that way . . . .

http://memory.loc.gov/mss/mal/mal3/435/4356600/002.jpg

Gettysburg Address

we 46 here 41 highly 20 resolve 42 that 41 these 37 dead shall 37 not 24 have 48 died 43 in 30 vain; that 20 this nation 32 shall 28 have 54 a 34 new 34 birth 31 of -5 freedom: and 42 that 31 this 28 government 39 of 20 the 20 people, by the 11 people, for 23 the 13 people, shall 24 not -5 perish from 20 the 26 earth.

Numbers = units of space between the handwritten words

If it were word processed,it would look like this.

we here highly resolve that these deadshall not have died in vain: that thisnation shall have a new birth of freedom:and that this government of the people, bythe people, for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth

Word processors make spacesthe same size within a line.

Writers (at least Lincoln/Hayes) naturally change the size of spaces between words to create phrase packages

for us to be here dedicated to the greattask remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increaseddevotion to the that cause for which they here gave gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall nothave died in vain; that this nation shallhave a new birth of freedom: and thatthis government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth

we here highly resolve that these deadshall not have died in vain: that thisnation shall have a new birth of freedom:and that this government of the people, bythe people, for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth

If you think about it, line returns are a type of “space.”

7 out 11 lines start with an new phrase

Writers (at least Lincoln/Hayes) tend to break lines at phrase boudaries

Word processors break lineswherever they end

for us to be here dedicated to the greattask remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increaseddevotion to the that cause for which they here gave gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall nothave died in vain; that this nation shallhave a new birth of freedom: and thatthis government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth8 lines begin

with a new phrase4 lines

break a phrase 7 lines begin with a new phrase

7 linesbreak a phrase

What happens whenwe consciously format text this way?

Lab studies

People don’t notice any difference--even when they look at the documents side by side.

Standard text Formatted text

Standard formatting

Phrase-based formatting

Overlaid

0%

10%

20%

30%

10%

19%

28%26%

13%

North, 1951 Anglin, 1968Cromer, 1970 Mason, 1979Gerrell, 1983

Retention rate improvement0%

10%

20%

30%

Reading speeed increase

23%

16%16%18%

11%

North, 1951 Frase, 1979Hartley, 1980 Jandreau, 1986Bever, 1989

40 years of reading studies, across labs, with different methods show improvement with phase-based formatting.

0%

10%

20%

30%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

When we consciously phrase-format textpeople read faster and remember more.

e following studies are based on a speci!c automated phrase-formatted text methodology

Community College Computer Literacy Course

Percentage of students earning honors grades

Increase in positive ratingswhen textbooks is phrase-formatted

StandardTextbook50%

StandardTextbook

StandardTextbook

Phrase-formattedTextbook

Phrase-formattedTextbook

Phrase-formattedTextbook78%

Percentage of studentsreceiving failing grades

Phrase-formatted text helps students learn more

and like learning tools better.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

38%

Increased in enjoymentwhen article is phrase-formatted

Measure: Post-passage survey

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Phrase-formatted text makes reading more enjoyable for adults

0%

10%

20%

30%

12%

Increase in TOEFL Scorewhen test is phrase-formatted

Measure: TOEFL score

Native Chinese speakers

0%

20%

40%

60%

44%

Increase in ComprehensionBasic-level Students

0%

20%

40%

60%

15%

Increase in ComprehensionAdvanced Students

Measure: Reading Comprehension on SAT like Essays

Native Japanese speakers

0%

3%

5%

8%

3%

Increase in Comprehension*

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

18%

Increase in Reading Speed

Measure: Comprehension scores for native Spanish speakers on English SAT test instructed to read for accuracy* not speed

Native Spanish speakers

0%

10%

20%

30%

18%

10%

Measure: Reading Comprehension

Increase in Comprehension

No Distractions

Distractions

0%

10%

20%

30%

17%12%

Measure: Reading degraded copy (1st or 6th generation photocopies)

Increase in Comprehension

1st generationphotocopy

6th generation photocopy

Phrase-formatted text improves comprehension when reading is not easy.

• Reading in a non-native language• While distracted• From degraded copies

What’s happening?

Phrase-formatted Text makes spaces meaningful.is helps readers plan "xations more effectively.

Standard Text Phrase-formatted Text

# Fixations

Fixation length

Recursive reading

Poor Readers > Superior

Readers

Poor Readers

SuperiorReaders

Poor Readers

SuperiorReaders

≈Poor Readers

SuperiorReaders

Poor Readers

SuperiorReaders

Poor Readers

SuperiorReaders

> ≈> ≈

Measure: Eyetracking and Reading comprehension

Field studies

[Brand] and the free I Can supportprogram can helpyou manage yourtype 2 diabetes

[Brand] and the freeI Can support program can help you manage your type 2 diabetes

Measure: Click-through rates on webpage ad

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

142%

Increase in click-throughson phrase-formatted ad

Standard Formatting

Phrase-formatted Text

Measure: Comprehension + Would you forward? survey for on-line newsletter

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

10%

Increase in likelihood to send to a friend

Standard Formatting

Phrase-formatted Text

0

2

4

6

8

07

# Comprehension questionsanswered more correctly

Phrase-formatted

Text

StandardText

Phrase-based makes content more actionable.

Direct Mail Studies

Direct Mail Case Study 1

Measure: Response Rate

Phrase-basedFormatting

StandardFormatting

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

4.12%4.46%

12.6% increase in response rate

when text isphrase-formatted

$0

$3.75

$7.50

$11.25

$15.00

$13.90$14.98

Direct Mail Case Study 1

Measure: Average gi size

Phrase-basedFormatting

StandardFormatting

7.7% increase in gi size

when text isphrase-formatted

Direct Mail Case Study 1

Measure: Income / piece

$0

$0.25

$0.50

$0.75

$1.00

$0.57$0.70

Phrase-basedFormatting

StandardFormatting

22.8% increase in income / piece

when text isphrase-formatted

Direct Mail Case Study 2

Measure: Response Rate

Phrase-basedFormatting

StandardFormatting

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

3.09%3.46%

16.3% increase in response rate

when text isphrase-formatted

$0

$3.00

$6.00

$9.00

$12.00

$15.00

$13.95$14.40

Direct Mail Case Study 2

Measure: Average gi size

Phrase-basedFormatting

StandardFormatting

3.2 % increase in gi size

when text isphrase-formatted

Direct Mail Case Study 2

Measure: Income / piece

$0

$0.10

$0.20

$0.30

$0.40

$0.50

$0.42$0.50

Phrase-basedFormatting

StandardFormatting

19.5% increase in income / piece

when text isphrase-formatted

Phrase-based makes direct mail more effective.

• Higher response rates• Larger gis• Greater income / piece

What’s the message?

enjoyable memorable actionable persuasive

Phrase-formatted text is more

Questions about applying ReadSmart to your documents?

Chris Nicholaschris@readsmart.com

Bob Schumacherrschumacher@usercentric.com

Questions about ReadSmart technology?

@UserCentricIncFollow:    #uxlunch