Jk. Fuller et Lm. Sulsky, AN EXAMINATION OF CONSUMER ADVISEMENT WARNING INFORMATION EMBEDDED WITHIN WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS - IMPLICATIONS FOR MEMORY AND BEHAVIOR, Ergonomics, 38(11), 1995, pp. 2238-2249
The effects of the colour and placement of consumer advisement warning
information embedded within written instructions on both memory for,
and compliance with, information were examined. Specifically, undergra
duate subjects were instructed to read a set of written instructions f
or operating a camera. Subjects read consumer advisement warning infor
mation typed in either red, blue, or black ink, which was located at e
ither the top, middle, or bottom of the written instructions. After re
ading the instructions, subjects were asked to take pictures using the
camera. Compliance with the information and subsequent memory for the
information were assessed. Results indicated that for memory there wa
s an interaction between colour and placement, and for behaviour there
was a main effect of placement. The implications of this interaction
for memory of consumer advisements is discussed. In addition, the poss
ible role of perceived importance of the advisement information in the
prediction of memory and behaviour is considered.