- Describes the process of reading - Demonstrates that space size is informative in handwritten texts - Reviews research demonstrating that phrase-based formatting (ReadSmart) improves readability, memorability, actionability and persuasiveness of text In normal reading situations - Reading textbooks - Leisure reading When reading is hard - for people reading in a second language - when there are distractions - when the copy is degraded (repeatedly photocopied) - Presents case studies demonstrating significantly improved ROI for direct marketing when direct mail pieces are phrase-formatted w/ ReadSmart > If you would like the slides, please email me (kath@usability.org)

1. Psycholinguistics
Using the Science of Reading
to Enhance Direct Marketing
Don Hill, RHA Marketing
Chris Nicholas, Readsmart
Kath Straub, Usability.org

2. Thomas
Bever,
PhD
• PhD
MIT,
Linguis/cs
• Harvard
Fellow
• Professor
of
Linguis/cs,
Psychology,
Cogni/ve
Science,
Neuroscience
• Department
Chair,
University
of
Arizona
(Linguis/cs),
University
of
Rochester
(BCS)
• Co-­‐founder
of
the
Journal
Cogni&on
• Interna'onally
recognized
exper'se
in
reading
comprehension
and
techniques
that
improve
readability
of
print
through
linguis'cally
and
psychologically
informed
text
Forma<ng
• Winner
of
Humboldt
Research
Award
–
2010

4. Christopher
Nicholas,
PhD
• PhD
in
Neuroscience
• Exper'se
in
the
how
the
brain
perceives
and
interprets
words
and
leFers
• Director
of
Development,
Language
Technologies,
Inc.
• Chief
Technology
Officer,
ReadSmart
• Instructor,
University
of
Arizona
• Co-­‐inventor
of
patents
pending
for
computer
applica/ons
that
format
text
for
more
effec/ve
reading

5. Kath
Straub,
PhD
• PhD
in
Brain
and
Cogni/ve
Sciences
• Exper'se
• Consumer
research
and
interac'on
design
that
drives
behavioral
change
and
conversion
-­‐-­‐
par'cularly
in
the
increasingly
self-­‐service
B2C
ecosystem
• Transla'ng
promising
basic
science
findings
into
strategic
business
differen'ators
• Director
of
Usability.org

6. Outline
~ How reading works
~ How phrase-formatted text can help
~ Laboratory studies
~ Field studies
~ Direct marketing case studies
~ Take away

7. How reading works

9. 2°
2°
2°
is
approximately
equal
to
the
width
of
your
thumb
at
arms
length

10. Fovea ~ 2-3º of visual angle

11. Some details about reading
• Reading is made up of a series of eye movements,
called saccades. Between the saccades, peoples’ eyes
land, or xate on what they are reading.
• Fixations typically last ~200-250 ms
• During a xation, people see roughly 7-15 characters or
~ 2-2.5 words
• e average English word has 5.5 letters

12. How reading looks in real time...

27. Another detail: ~ 1 in 6 characters is a space.

28. How text formatting helps

29. Ragged-right text
Spaces sizes between words are even within and across lines.

30. Right justi ed text
Spaces sizes are even within a given line.

31. In print, spaces are not informative to readers.
But it wasn’t always that way . . . .

32. Gettysburg
Address
http://memory.loc.gov/mss/mal/mal3/435/4356600/002.jpg

34. we 46 here 41 highly 20 resolve 42 that 41 these 37 dead
shall 37 not 24 have 48 died 43 in 30 vain; that 20 this
nation 32 shall 28 have 54 a 34 new 34 birth 31 of -5 freedom:
and 42 that 31 this 28 government 39 of 20 the 20 people, by
the 11 people, for 23 the 13 people, shall 24 not -5 perish
from 20 the 26 earth.
Numbers = units of space
between the handwritten words

35. If it were word processed, we here highly resolve that these dead
it would look like this. shall not have died in vain: that this
nation shall have a new birth of freedom:
and that this government of the people, by
the people, for the people, shall not perish
from the earth

36. Writers (at least Lincoln/Hayes) Word processors make spaces
naturally change the size of spaces the same size within a line.
between words to create phrase
packages
for us to be here dedicated to the great
we here highly resolve that these dead
task remaining before us -- that from
shall not have died in vain: that this these honored dead we take increased
nation shall have a new birth of freedom: devotion to the that cause for which
and that this government of the people, by
the people, for the people, shall not perish
they here gave gave the last full
from the earth measure of devotion -- that we here
highly resolve that these dead shall not
have died in vain; that this nation shall
have a new birth of freedom: and that
this government of the people, by the
people, for the people, shall not perish
from the earth

37. If you think about it,
line returns are a type of “space.”

38. 7 out 11 lines
start with
an new phrase

39. Writers (at least Lincoln/Hayes)
tend to break lines at Word processors break lines
phrase boudaries wherever they end
for us to be here dedicated to the great
task remaining before us -- that from
these honored dead we take increased
devotion to the that cause for which
they here gave gave the last full
measure of devotion -- that we here
highly resolve that these dead shall not
have died in vain; that this nation shall
have a new birth of freedom: and that
this government of the people, by the
people, for the people, shall not perish
from the earth
8 lines begin 4 lines
with a new phrase break a phrase 7 lines begin 7 lines
with a new phrase break a phrase

40. What happens when
we consciously format text this way?

41. Lab studies

42. Standard text Formatted text
People don’t notice any difference--even when they look
at the documents side by side.

43. Overlaid

44. 40 years of reading studies, across labs, with different methods
show improvement wiht phase-based formatting.
30% 30%
20% 20%
28%
26%
23%
10% 18% 16% 16% 10% 19%
11% 13%
10%
0% 0%
Reading speeed increase Retention rate improvement
North, 1951 Frase, 1979 North, 1951 Anglin, 1968
Hartley, 1980 Jandreau, 1986 Cromer, 1970 Mason, 1979
Bever, 1989 Gerrell, 1983

45. 25% 30%
20%
20%
15%
When we consciously phrase-format text
10%
people read faster and 10%
remember more.
5%
0% 0%

46. e following studies are based on a speci c
automated phrase-formatted text methodology

48. Percentage of students Increase in positive ratings
earning honors grades when textbooks is phrase-formatted
Standard
Phrase- Textbook
formatted Phrase-formatted
Textbook Textbook
78%
Percentage of students
receiving failing grades
Phrase-
formatted Standard
Textbook Textbook
Standard
Textbook 50%
Community College Computer Literacy Course

49. Phrase-formatted text
helps students learn more
and like learning tools better.

50. 50%
40%
30%
20% 38%
10%
0%
Increased in enjoyment
when article is phrase-formatted
Measure: Post-passage survey

51. 50%
40%
30%
Phrase-formatted text
20%
makes reading more enjoyable for adults
10%
0%

53. Native Chinese speakers
30%
20%
10%
12%
0%
Increase in TOEFL Score
when test is phrase-formatted
Measure: TOEFL score

54. Native Japanese speakers
60% 60%
40% 40%
20% 20% 44%
15%
0% 0%
Increase in Comprehension Increase in Comprehension
Advanced Students Basic-level Students
Measure: Reading Comprehension on SAT like Essays

55. Native Spanish speakers
20% 8%
15%
5%
10%
18%
3%
5%
3%
0% 0%
Increase in Reading Speed Increase in Comprehension*
Measure: Comprehension scores for native Spanish speakers
on English SAT test instructed to read for accuracy* not speed

56. Increase in Comprehension
30%
20%
10% 18%
10%
0%
No Distractions
Distractions
Measure: Reading Comprehension

57. Increase in Comprehension
30%
20%
10%
17%
12%
0%
1st 6th
generation generation
photocopy photocopy
Measure: Reading degraded copy (1st or 6th generation photocopies)

58. Phrase-formatted text improves comprehension
when reading is not easy.
• Reading in a non-native language
• While distracted
• From degraded copies

59. What’s happening?
Phrase-formatted Text makes spaces meaningful.
is helps readers plan xations more effectively.

61. Phrase-formatted
Standard Text
Text
# Fixations Poor
Readers > Superior
Readers
Poor
Readers ≈ Superior
Readers
Fixation length Poor
Readers > Superior
Readers
Poor
Readers ≈ Superior
Readers
≈
Recursive
reading
Poor
Readers > Superior
Readers
Poor
Readers
Superior
Readers
Measure: Eyetracking and Reading comprehension

62. Field studies

63. Standard Formatting
[Brand] and the
free I Can support
program can help 200%
you manage your
type 2 diabetes
150%
100%
142%
Phrase-formatted Text 50%
[Brand] and the free 0%
I Can support program Increase in click-throughs
can help you manage on phrase-formatted ad
your type 2 diabetes
Measure: Click-through rates on webpage ad

64. 20%
15%
10%
5% 10%
Standard Formatting 0%
Increase in likelihood
to send to a friend
8
6
Phrase-formatted Text
4
2
7 0
0
Phrase- Standard
formatted Text
Text
# Comprehension questions
answered more correctly
Measure: Comprehension + Would you forward? survey for on-line newsletter

65. Phrase-based makes content more actionable.

66. Direct Mail Studies

67. Direct Mail Case Study 1
12.6% increase
5%
in response rate
4% when text is
3% phrase-formatted
4.46%
2% 4.12%
1%
0%
Phrase-based Standard
Formatting Formatting
Measure: Response Rate

68. Direct Mail Case Study 1
7.7% increase
$15.00 in gi size
when text is
$11.25 phrase-formatted
$7.50 $14.98
$13.90
$3.75
$0
Phrase-based Standard
Formatting Formatting
Measure: Average gi size

69. Direct Mail Case Study 1
$1.00
22.8% increase
$0.75 in income / piece
when text is
$0.50
phrase-formatted
$0.70
$0.25 $0.57
$0
Phrase-based Standard
Formatting Formatting
Measure: Income / piece

70. Direct Mail Case Study 2
5%
4%
16.3% increase
in response rate
3% when text is
2% phrase-formatted
3.46%
3.09%
1%
0%
Phrase-based Standard
Formatting Formatting
Measure: Response Rate

71. Direct Mail Case Study 2
3.23 % increase
$15.00 in gi size
when text is
$11.25 phrase-formatted
$7.50 $14.40 $13.95
$3.75
$0
Phrase-based Standard
Formatting Formatting
Measure: Average gi size

72. Direct Mail Case Study 1
$1.00
$0.75
19.5% increase
$0.50 in income / piece
when text is
$0.25 $0.50
$0.42
phrase-formatted
$0
Phrase-based Standard
Formatting Formatting
Measure: Income / piece

73. Phrase-based makes direct mail more effective.
• Higher response rates
• Larger gis
• Greater income / piece

74. What’s the message?
enjoyable
memorable
Phrase-formatted text is more
actionable
persuasive

75. Still more questions ... ?
Don Hill
donhill@rhamarketing.com
301-663-4455 ext. 222
Chris Nicholas
chris@readsmart.com
Kath Straub
kath@usability.org

76. Comprehension score improvement
40%
30%
Reduction in print lines
20%
10%
10% 24%
16%
5%
0%
ReadSmarttm ReadSmarttm
0%
Composer
-6%
-5% Enjoyability rating improvement
-10% 40%
ReadSmart Composertm
30%
ReadSmart Composer adjusts both spaces and letters.
Like Readsmarttm , it improves the readability, 20%
memorability and enjoyability of content. But, it
reduces overall copy length. is additional “space” 10%
can be utilize to either 11%
5%
• reduce copy length to save paper and ink 0%
• increase the font size without changing page length ReadSmarttm ReadSmarttm
Composer
Measure: Comprehension and likability of a Tucson Citizen newspaper article