Comprehension of instructions: Effects of modality of presentation on online processing, execution time and assembly accuracy

IRRAZABAL, N., BURIN, D. Y SAUX, G.

Montreal

Congreso; 22nd. Annual Meeting of the Society for Text and Discourse.; 2012

Society for Text and Discourse

This study examined the comprehension of instructionsas a function of modality of presentation of the task(verbal, pictorial, and multimedia). One hundred andtwenty participants were asked to comprehend andexecute instructions on assembling an object. Classicalmeasures of comprehension (reading times) as well asmeasures of accuracy and time lapse for executing theinstructions were collected. Results indicated fastertimes for processing and executing instructions, andless assembling errors in pictorial and multimediaconditions. In conclusion, data support benefit for nonverbal and multiple format presentations incomprehension as well as in memory and execution ofthe instruction.