THE EFFECT OF FONT STYLE ON MEMORY Bridie De Lutiis (Year 10) Science Faculty, The Illawarra Grammar School, Western Avenue, Mangerton, 2500 Abstract Written information that is presented in different fonts can result in varied memory length and learning outcomes. Previous studies have shown that text written in smaller writing is harder to read and requires more concentration so that the information is retained for longer. Other studies have proven the opposite where it was time based if they were able to remember the study words. In this experiment, 10 participants were given 15 words in 5 different fonts to test if fonts that were harder to read were easier to remember. After a filler activity they were given 3 minutes to write down the words they remembered. The study found that the last 3 words of the test which were the hardest to read in the Edwardian script font were easier to remember after the filler test. Although, the first 6 study words that were shown were also recalled a similar amount even though they are in easier fonts.
Introduction How does the font size of learning material effect memory? While remembering study materials is also based on difficulty of the content and learning strategy it can also be affected by the style of the text and how easy it is to read. ‘Results from the prior experiments have converged on a similar pattern: participants regard large items as more memorable than easier to read items. We suggest that this occurred because participants regarded large items as subjectively more fluent and thus more memorable, than small items’, (Rhodes & Castle 2008). However, in contrast, ‘a second line of research that focused on other perceptual features of learning materials such as font type or clarity suggested that, in some cases, presenting materials in a perceptually degraded format can enhance rather than impair learning’, (e.g., DiemandYauman, Oppenheimer, & Vaughan, 2011).
It is hypothesised that the last 3 words of the study in Edwardian font will be easiest to remember because they are harder to read.
Method In this experiment risks were considered negligible therefore a risk assessment was not conducted. 10 participants were seated in front a table where I would hold up a sheet with different words in multiple fonts. A series of 15 words at size 72 would be held up for 5 seconds each with 5 different fonts including Calibri, Bodoni MT Poster, Freestyle Script, Rage and Edwardian Script which were progressively harder to read. After the reading participants were asked to complete a filler test for 2 minutes where they had to recall as many states of America they could to act as stimuli that is not further interest to the experiment. Finally, each participant was given 3 minutes to recall and 47
