INCREASED EFFECTIVENESS OF AN INTERACTIVE WARNING IN A REALISTIC INCIDENTAL PRODUCT-USE SITUATION

Information about hazards and safe use of products is often provided i n warning labels. In recent years, researchers have been exploring fac tors that influence warning effectiveness. One promising design factor is an interactive label that requires manipulation by users before or during use of a product. In the present research, the effectiveness o f two interactive warning labels (with and without a color component) were compared to a standard label in the context of a realistic produc t-use task. The task involved the setup of video equipment in which pa rticipants connected the electrical cords to power outlets - during wh ich they were incidentally exposed to one of three warnings attached t o extension cords. Another factor manipulated in the experiment was ta sk load, low versus higher, in which the higher load condition had an extra task that had to be performed within the same time frame. The re sults showed that the interactive labels were noticed, recalled and co mplied to more often than a standard on-product label. Increasing task load and adding color to the interactive label showed no significant influence. The results suggest that the interactive label facilitates the capturing of attention, thus increasing the potential for further processing of the message.