Berry, C., Scheffler, A., & Goldstein, C. (1993). Effects of text structure on the impact of heard news. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 7(5), 381-395.

Berry, C.; Scheffler, A.; Goldstein, C.

1993

Berry, C., Scheffler, A., & Goldstein, C. (1993). Effects of text structure on the impact of heard news. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 7(5), 381-395.

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2 experiments with 36 community volunteers and 123 undergraduates are conducted in which audio re-recordings of texts transcribed from TV newscasts were presented to independent groups, one group in each case hearing a bulletin with original text structures (as broadcast), the other with key stories revised in accord with story-grammar notions and restoring chronological sequence in the narrative. Text restructuring improved learning, especially of information central to the main points of stories. Such text revision also affected judgments of bias without altering assessment of writing quality. Attention to assuring more coherent story structures in newscast texts could counter the problems of audiences' poor comprehension and perceived bias that result from production priorities and practices.

The only variable significantly influenced by source attribution was perceived writing quality, which was rated higher when the mines story was attributed to Channel 4 rather than BBC1. Restructuring of original text to conform to 'story grammar' notions and retain narrative chronology, on the other hand, improved learning from both stories, the pattern of enhancement again suggesting a selective benefit for information central to a basic understanding of the stories, and caused general reductions in the extent of perceived bias which listeners without concomitant chance in perceived quality of story writing.

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