The Effect of Heading Frequency on Comprehension of Print Versus Online Information

Authors: Bartell, Alexandra L.; Schultz, Laura D.; Spyridakis, Jan H.

Source: Technical Communication, Volume 53, Number 4, November 2006 , pp. 416-426(11)

Publisher: Society for Technical Communication

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Abstract:

This article describes research that studied how heading frequency affects comprehension and perceptions of information in print versus online text. The results of this study indicate that heading frequency did not significantly affect the comprehension of readers of print text, while it did significantly affect the comprehension of readers of online text, who had considerably lower comprehension scores with text that had high-frequency versus medium-frequency headings. Although more research is needed, these results remind technical communicators that their readers will comprehend text differently between the two media. The study also highlights the fact that we cannot assume that guidelines for the design of print-based information automatically transfer to the design of online information.

Document Type: Journal article

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