Using Lists to Improve Text Access: The Role of Layout in Reading

Abstract

This paper describes two experiments that explore the effects of different ways of presenting a list in text on readers recall and reading processes. In the first experiment, participants read one of four styles of a list and then were asked to recall the content. The results showed that recall for the separately arranged lists was better than that for the continuously arranged lists, and that there was a difference in reading patterns between the two layouts. The second experiment examined individual reading processes for both separated and continuous layouts with the text presented by computer. It was found that the separated list allowed readers to reread the points selectively, while the continuous list made readers reread the text sequentially. Consequently, readers of the separated list understood the content faster than did those of the continuous list. These findings indicate that the layout of a list affects the way that it is read and understood.