According to Hall's context theory, people from different cultures may react differently to complex messages. The current study is the first empirical examination of context theory's role on message comprehension and appreciation. In a comparative survey-based study (N = 289), Belgian and Dutch participants judged 12 complex product advertisements with visual metaphors. As expected by context theory, perceived complexity was lower for Belgian (a higher-context culture) than for Dutch participants (a lower-context culture), and participants'personal context culture score fully accounted for this difference. Similarly, ad liking was higher for Belgian than for Dutch participants, and again, this difference was explained by context score.

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The use of English in advertising aimed at non-native speakers of English is claimed to enhance image and text evaluation and to have no negative impact on comprehension. We tested these claims using promotional websites aimed at Dutch youngsters. Dutch secondary school pupils evaluated a completely English and a partly English homepage and completely Dutch versions of these homepages. Each participant evaluated a version with English of one homepage and a completely Dutch version of the other homepage. No significant differences were found between the Dutch and English versions of the homepages regarding image of the product advertised, evaluation of the website, and intention to use the product. The Dutch version either scored better than the English version on text evaluation, or the differences between the versions were not significant. Respondents were better at describing the meaning of Dutch terms than of their English equivalents.

In a previous study, no effects were found applying Information Mapping® (IMAP) to a relatively short text. In three new experiments, we investigated whether text length and the presence or absence of typical IMAP format features would influence possible IMAP effects, and if there would be any interaction effects of the application of the IMAP method and reader characteristics. It turned out that when presented with a relatively long text, readers worked more effectively and efficiently with an IMAP version. Adding typical IMAP format features to an otherwise unaltered conventional text did not produce greater effectiveness but did result in greater efficiency and higher appreciation. No interaction effects were found of the respondents’ linguistic background and the application of the IMAP method.

A study into the effect the Information Mapping ® method compared three text versions. Each version was tested by approximately twenty subjects working for a Dutch company. The study involved a text that had been used in that company for several years, an Information Mapping ® version of the same text and a version rewritten by an experienced writer, who did not work with the Information Mapping ® method. With regard to effectiveness and efficiency, the results of the various versions did not differ significantly. The judgements that the subjects made were statistically different in one respect: the Information Mapping ® text was rated significantly higher than the text rewritten by the experienced writer. However, the subjects did not rate the Information Mapping ® text significantly higher than the original text. Subject variables such as age and years of service at the company had no significant effect on the results. All things considered, this study fails to substantiate the claim that the IMAP method results in texts that lead to improved reader performance.