Strategies for Improving the Readability of Printed Text
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Transcript of Strategies for Improving the Readability of Printed Text
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 [email protected]
Questions about ReadSmart technology?
@UserCentricIncFollow: #uxlunch