Article published In:
Information Design JournalVol. 21:2 (2014) ► pp.146–162
How bulleted lists and enumerations in formatted paragraphs affect recall and evaluation of functional text
The influence of the bulleted list format on recall and evaluation of functional text (i.e., health flyers, direct mail letters, and recipes) is investigated in five studies in which the same series of components, formatted as enumerations in a paragraph, function as the control condition. In three studies, the bulleted list format has a positive effect on the reader’s ability to recall the content of the items of the series. This positive effect is mitigated if the components are heterogeneous. In two studies, bulleted lists have a negative effect on the recall of content presented in the surrounding text. In another two studies, bulleted lists have a (positive) effect on the reader’s evaluation of the text.
Keywords: recall, reader evaluation, (bulleted) lists, enumerations
References
Braddy, P.W., Foster Thompson, L., Wuensch, K., & Grossnickle, W.F
(2003) Internet recruiting. The effect of web page design features. Social science computer review 21(3), 374–385. 
Caspers, J
De Back, A
(1989) De vormgeving van opsommingen: - de adviezen, - het gebruik, - de oordelen [The format of enumerations: advise, use and evaluation] MA thesis Communication studies Leiden University.
Dubois, S
(1995) Structural processes in enumeration. Language variation and change 71, 113–137.
Dyson, M.C., & Gregory, J
(2002) Typographic cuing on screen. Visible language 36(3), 326–346.
Gabriel, Y
(2008) Against the Tyranny of PowerPoint: Technology-in-Use and Technology Abuse. Organization Studies 29(2), 255–276.
Gerritsen, W.P
(1994) De constructie van het geheugen [The construction of memory]. Faculty of Arts, Utrecht University.
Goering, E., Connor, U.M., Nagelhout, E., & Steinberg, R
(2011) Persuasion in fundraising letters: an interdisciplinary study. Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly 40(2), 228–246.
Goody, J
(1984) The domestication of the savage mind. Cambridge: Cambridge university press.
Hartley, J
(2000) Typographic settings for structured abstracts. Journal of technical writing and communication 30(4), 355–365.
Karreman, J. & Loorbach, N
(2011) Paragraphs or lists? The effects of text structure on website. Professional Communication Conference 2007, IPCC 2007.
Lemarié, J., Lorch, R.F., Eyrolle, H., & Virbel, J
(2008) SARA: a text-based and reader-based theory of signaling. Educational psychologist 43(1), 27–48.
Lo-Dac, L-M, Fabre, C., Péry-Woodley, M-P, Rebeyrolle, J., & Tanguy, L
Lorch, R.F
(1989) Text-signaling devices and their effects on reading and memory processes. Educational psychology review 1(3), 209–233.
Michielutte, R., Bahnson, J., Dignan, M.B., & Schroeder, E.M
(1992) The use of illustrations and narrative text style to improve readability of a health education brochure. Journal of Cancer Education 1(3), 251–260.
Mol, E
(2003) Experiment naar het effect van het gebruik van vette kernwoorden en opsommingen in webteksten op efficientie, begrip, onthoudbaarheid en waardering [Experiment on the effect of the use of bold faced words and enumerations in web texts on efficiency, comprehension, recall, and evaluation]. MA thesis, Tilburg University.
Morkes, J. & Nielsen, J
Morrow, D., Leirer, V. & Altieri, P
(1995) List formats improve medication instructions for older adults. Educational Gerontology 211, 151–166.
Morrow, D.G., Leirer, V.O., Andrassy, J.M., Hier, C.M., & Menard, W.E
(1998) The influence of list format and category headers on age differences in understanding medication instructions. Experimental ageing research 241, 231–256.
Schiffrin, D
(1994) Making a list. Discourse Processes 171, 377–406.
Verburg, V
(2007) Beter leren door puntsgewijze opsommingen? [Learning better by bulleted lists?] MA thesis, Tilburg University.
Wogalter, M.S., & Shaver, E.F
(2001) Evaluation of list vs paragraph text format on search time for warning symptoms in a product manual. A.C. Bittner, et al. (eds.) Advances in occupational ergonomics and safety. (434–438). Clifton (VA): IOS press.
Cited by
Cited by 4 other publications
Dewies, Malte, Astrid Schop-Etman, Inge Merkelbach, Kirsten I. M. Rohde & Semiha Denktaş
2022. Call first, pay later: stimulating debtors to contact their creditors improves debt collection in the context of financial scarcity. Behavioural Public Policy ► pp. 1 ff. 
Lim, Dongjae (Jay), Nathaniel Evans & Marilyn Primovic
2021. Exploring How Disclosure Works for Listicle-Style Native Advertising: The Role of Persuasion Knowledge, Persuasion Appropriateness, and Supplementary Disclosure Effect of Brand Social Media. Journal of Interactive Advertising 21:1 ► pp. 1 ff.
Lonsdale, Maria dos Santos, Xiaoxiao Qin, Yun Chen, Heather Green, Maha Algethami & Jiawen Xu
2022. The power of information design in enhancing the organization of information and course material in an online Virtual
Learning Environment (VLE). Information Design Journal 27:3 ► pp. 235 ff.
Noland, Chris R. & Taylor Wen
2022. Listicles vs. Narratives: The Interplay between Mood, Message Type, and Disclosure on Native-Advertising Effectiveness. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising 43:4 ► pp. 377 ff.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 22 may 2023. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.