Sloppy Typing and Reproduction in a Written Technical Message—An Experiment

Abstract

An experiment was performed to determine the effect (if any) of sloppy typing and reproduction upon the effectiveness of a written technical message. The variables tested were the margins, the way in which corrections were made, and the reproduction of the message. Approximately seven hundred subjects in five definably different audiences were tested. Measures were taken of comprehension, reading time, judgment of the author's credibility, and judgment of the author's competence as a writer. Five main effects and five interactions were found at the 0.05 level of probability. Each variable, each measure of the effectiveness of the message, and each audience was involved in one or more of these effects. In each main effect and each interaction subject to easy interpretation, the unaltered form (good typing and good reproduction) of the variable(s) concerned appeared to be the more effective.