Developing countries provide fertile ground for inquiry into the commu
nication and instructional needs of people with little or no prior sch
ooling. Exploratory data suggest that differences exist in the ways li
terates and nonliterates interpret information. These interpretations
represent cognitive and culturally filtered patterns in ''meaning-maki
ng. '' This study looks at meaning making by analyzing the way people
conceptualize relationships and events through storytelling. More spec
ifically, perceptions of causality and emphasis are examined in visual
stories created by literate and nonliterate subjects in Morocco.