CONTRAST BETWEEN SERIF AND SANS SERIF FONTS – TIMES NEW ROMAN (TNR) AND ARIAL (AR) PROJECT MEMBERS KATARINA ANGSTOVA, LENA KUTTIG, FARNAZ MOMENI & STEFANIE SKWARA Different font types and their effect on reading speed

Background Older studies: words are read as whole, or in portions (Lange et al, 1993)-> no difference between fonts Recent studies: identification of the whole is affected by each component feature of a letter (Grainger et al, 2005) ->letter should be easier to identify if its form is clearer & more precise -> Sans serif fonts (AR) should be easier to read

Research Question Are serif fonts (Arial), because of their straight and simple form, easier to read than sans serif fonts (Times New Roman)?

Participants 20 BA students German native speakers 10 males; 10 females with proper vision From linguistic department (3./4. Sem. ; 5./6. Sem.)

Design I 2 texts of 250 words On computer screen written in Arial 11pt and Times New Roman 12pt Chosen from academic journals (not linguistic) -> no possible familiarity with the content

Design II Experiment 1 ( Semester): Group 1: Gets text 1 (in TNR) first; then Text 2 in (AR) Group 2: Gets text 1 (in AR) first; then Text 2 in (TNR) Group 3: Gets text 2 (in TNR) first; then Text 1 in (AR) Group 4: Gets text 2 (in AR) first; then Text 1 in (TNR) Experiment 2 ( Semester): Group 1: Gets text 1 (in TNR) first; then Text 2 in (AR) Group 2: Gets text 1 (in AR) first; then Text 2 in (TNR) Group 3: Gets text 2 (in TNR) first; then Text 1 in (AR) Group 4: Gets text 2 (in AR) first; then Text 1 in (TNR)

Analysis Plan One outcome variable Speed of Reading Two predictable variables: Font types Semester -> Factorial Mixed ANOVA

Outcomes & Predictions Why is Times New Roman (serif font) so often preferred in academic contexts, whereas Arial (sans serif font) seems to be easier to read? Assumption: - letters in Arial are easier to differentiate from each other - Arial = sans serif font = linear & clear form AR would be the better choice to use for academic texts