How text boxes affect reader comprehension : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

摘要

This study examined how text boxes affect participant understanding of text. A text box is operationally defined as a portion of text outlined by a box and thus separated from the body of the text. Participants read texts that contained a topic discussed in a text box and/or integrated in with the body of the text. Results indicated a significant effect of order in which participants received the texts, but not a significant effect of text box presence. This suggests that text boxes are not an effective organizational text signal.