The effect of pictures on reading comprehension under different levels of text organization was investigated. Sixth graders (N=132) read three science passages, presented with or without pictures representing text content. Picture condition was crossed with three levels of text organization. Multiple-choice test scores were analyzed using reading…

Three groups of elementary school children, rated on activity and distractibility, were given a visual search task with three levels of display load and tested twice in two conditions of stimulus visibility. Encoding deficit or data limitation did not account for the attentional performance of either hyperactive or somewhat hyperactive subjects.…

Research on adult memory for nonverbal representations has found a significant age-related decrement in performance. To investigate age differences in adult locational versus featural information in visual memory, 90 adult women (29 young women with a mean age of 21; 30 middle aged women with a mean age of 43; and 31 older women with a mean age of…

There is substantial evidence that prose-relevant pictures contribute to increased recall of prose materials, particularly if the subjects are young children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of prose-relevant pictures to immediate and delayed recall of written prose including science content when the subjects were…

Reviews research that shows positive contribution of pictures to young children's recall of prose material and describes two experiments conducted with college graduate students to see if positive effects can be extended to older learners. Results after immediate and delayed testing show recall is improved for older learners as well. (Author/LRW)

Examines the notion that words are sometimes perceived with greater ease than letters and that word shape sometimes plays a role in the perception of words. The data collected from 40 Israeli kindergarteners revealed that beginning readers found it easier to identify single letters than whole words, thus refuting the above notion. (Author/AS)

This investigation evaluated performance of university students on visual and nonvisual versions of an achievement test. Two experimental designs assessed the effects and interactions between visual and nonvisual instructional modes, order of drawing test (before or after verbal/visual achievement test), and mode of drawing test (verbal cued or…

Describes the fragmentary recall of aural and visual messages and discusses the implications for instructional design. Topics discussed include cognitive processes; the characteristics and selection of various media and the relationship to fragment processing skills; classroom activities based on fragmentary recall; and direction for further…

Describes methodology and results of a study examining the role of layout and graphic design in the legibility of instructional text displayed on cathode ray tubes. This report includes a multidimensional scaling analysis, an analysis of the stimuli and independent variables, and labeling and dimensions using adjective and interview data. (MBR)

This study examined the effectiveness of observable visual imagery strategy for the encoding of verbal information with special attention given to the relative effectiveness of the strategy for field-dependent and field-independent learners. The subjects, 54 undergraduate and graduaute students ranging in age from 20 to 54, were randomly assigned…

This document includes 46 papers presented at the International Visual Literacy Association Conference on topics ranging from prehistoric cave paintings to technology of the future. Major sections are devoted to research and theory, education, computer technology, and phototherapy. Emphasis is on increased understanding of opportunities available…

Describes study of undergraduates conducted to test the effectiveness of illustrations in texts, based on two hypotheses concerned with the differences between analogical and literal illustrations in serving two specific instructional functions and ways in which male and female students utilize illustrations. Results are analyzed, and…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether different types of practice strategies are equally effective in facilitating encoding strategies and in subsequent information acquisition and retrieval by students identified as possessing high, medium, and low prior knowledge levels in a content area. Within the context of the…

Reports on an investigation into the behaviors and attitudes of visitors viewing a public exhibition about environmental problems concerning Madrid (Spain). Results indicated that the major variable related to the amount of time spent viewing specific photographs was related to the location of the photographs. (TW)

Reviews study of undergraduates which evaluated the effects that variations in depth of information processing have on students' memory systems in terms of their ability to acquire and retrieve information related to different types of instructional objectives. The effect of visual versus verbal testing of visualized instruction is also examined.…