Abstract

To understand how readers approach mechanical procedural instructions, this study tested surgical patient-education modules for the effectiveness of route and survey spatial perspectives in text. The results showed that subjects' ability to comprehend an intricate procedural action in surgery varies with learning styles and task approach along with different text-graphic perspectives. Overall, survey perspective worked better than route perspective in text. Readers' self-reporting of task difficulty and the effects of practicing did not notably affect their judgment.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2008-03-17
DOI
10.1080/10572250701878850
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Cited by in this index (5)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

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