Locating information is a major component of student and adult reading. Dreher and Guthrie (1987) examined locating information in a text chapter presented via a microcomputer. The present experiment attempted to determine if there were differences in locating discrete information in printed versus computerized text. Possible differences may have been caused by method of presentation (computer vs. printed page) or the presence or absence of a menu at the front of the text. This menu presented areas of the text that could be searched (e.g., table of contents, text, glossary, and index). Eighty undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology course attempted to find answers to six factual questions in text presented via either medium. Computer search tended to be more time consuming and less efficient than printed text search. No differences were found between computer and text conditions in total number of correct answers located. Computer groups searched the glossary more often than printed text groups. Possible explanations for these results are discussed and implications for future research are drawn.Researchers of reading recently have become interested in how individuals search for information in written material
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