Picture This: Effects of Graphics on the Processing of Television News.

Two experiments, one with college students and one with older participants, examine how the addition of text and animated graphics influence the processing of television news stories. Recall data suggest graphics help younger and older viewers store and retrieve information presented in television news stories. Graphics also enhanced encoding of harder stories for younger viewers but not older viewers. The recognition and heart rate data indicate that older viewers engage in more controlled processing of television messages, whereas college students process television in a more automatic fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]