The perceptual and cognitive processes that allow a person to see and interpret color are described. Color is a distraction only when these processes and the documents upon which they operate are construed very narrowly. Functions for the use of color in documents that rely on the perceptual and cognitive processes are presented.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Research into perceptual and cognitive processes has focused on how people process and understand information presented in maps and diagrams. The author examines why graphics function the way they do. The basic constitution of a graphic item, the sequence in which the mind processes those items, the strategies people use to encode and remember information in graphics, the conjoint encoding of verbal and visual forms and the encoding of clusters for items and their labels are addressed. The importance of configuration and discrimination in encoding, understanding, and retrieving information in graphics is demonstrated. It is suggested that the discovery of predictable relationships concerning how items and interitem relationships are shown in graphics, and encoding and retrieval performance can form the basis of a theory from which to conduct further research and on which to build prescriptions for graphic design.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

The author reviews the research on the effectiveness of graphics in instruction and then proposes a framework for developing a theory that accounts for the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of graphics. His goal is to lay the groundwork for developing prescriptive guidelines for the design of effective graphics in training documents. He stresses that further research needs to be done in order that a theory of learning from graphics can be developed in sufficient detail for design prescriptions to be provided and that prescriptive theory for graphic design is necessary.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>