The application of choice set principles to typeface selection
Abstract
Choice set size has implications on how people select typefaces, which are normally
presented in long, alphabetical lists in programs such as Microsoft Word™. The extensive
size of the choice set makes choosing a typeface a difficult task, which is unfortunate
because typeface selections are highly important. Choosing the right typeface ensures that
the rhetoric of the message is expressed correctly, and that confusions do not occur due to
low legibility. Two ways of decreasing the choice difficulty is by reducing the number of
typefaces and incorporating categories into the choice set.
For these reasons, this experiment explored the effects that choice set design has on
typeface selections in two studies. Study 1 examined the effect that size and categorization
had on the affective response (satisfaction, difficulty, etc.) and preference for making a
typeface decision. Participants reported higher satisfaction and preferred typeface choice
sets that contained informative categories. Results also revealed that moderate size choice
sets were associated with less difficulty, less choice overload, and higher satisfaction than
large choice sets.
Study 2 examined the effect that categorization had on the strategy for choosing a
typeface across different document types. Participants spent more time choosing a typeface
and contemplated more typefaces when using choice sets that contained categories,
regardless of document type. This provides evidence that categorization lead participants
to use a more optimal decision strategy, which should increase the likelihood of selecting a
more optimal typeface.
Description
Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Psychology