An examination of icons, signal words, color, and messages in warnings for children on the Internet

摘要

Most minors have unrestricted access to the Internet, which, along with educational content, containsdeleterious content not appropriate for minors. A system of warnings targeting minors on the Internet wasdeveloped and tested. The present study examined selected icons in combination with signal words, color,and warning messages. Three hundred and fifty-three adults and ten children participated in the study.Five most effective icons from a previous study were paired with signal words (STOP and WARNING)printed in black and red, along with warning messages, ranging in severity and explicitness. Resultsindicated that the signal word STOP was rated higher overall than WARNING, red was rated higher thanblack, and ratings for warning messages increased as the message explicitness and severity increased acrossa range of dependent variables including understandability and carefulness. A four-way icon x color xsignal word x warning message interaction was found. Implications for warning design are discussed.