| Two experimental studies (N = 536) applied and tested theory of coherence in text and hypertext and its relationship to reader interest in and understanding of news about science and technology. Two New York Times stories, one about cancer research and the other nanotechnology, were manipulated for coherence and explanation. Hypotheses predicted that more coherent text and hypertext structures would enhance interest in and a deeper understanding of the stories.; Dependent variables included situational interest, measured by participant's self-reported interest while reading the story, and situational understanding, measured by readers' abilities to generate bridging inferences and sort story details by category.; Results from study 1, conducted online, suggest that manipulations of news text alone can significantly enhance interest and understanding. Results from the second, controlled lab study that combined text with hypertext, produced mixed results. Specifically, coherence and explanation in text alone did not appear to enhance interest and understanding of the online stores. Interest and learning for the more coherent text was superior only when combined with more linear axial links. Curiously, the original New York Times' stories generated greater interest and understanding only when combined with non-linear network links posited to be less coherent.; Ex post facto analyses of interactivity (measured by the number of links clicked), revealed that even though participants in the linear axial link condition clicked on more links, most study 2 participants failed to click on at least one link. This suggests that variables other than coherence in text and hypertext and interactivity may also play an important role in non-experts' comprehension of news about science and technology. |
