The Disfluency Effect in Reading Comprehension: Findings from Paper and Screen Experiments

Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between text format and memory performance, revealing that less readable text formats can sometimes enhance memory retention. This counterintuitive phenomenon is often referred to as the disfluency effect, which suggests that perceptual difficulty may lead to deeper cognitive processing. The objective of this study was to explore whether a similar disfluency effect would occur in reading comprehension. We therefore conducted two experiments: a paper-based experiment and a screen-based experiment. In both experiments, participants read passages presented in two font styles and two types of handwritten text, followed by reading comprehension questions. In the paper-based experiment, participants tended to perform slightly better when the text was more readable, although the difference was not statistically significant. In the screen-based experiment, where response times were recorded, participants spent less time answering when the text was less readable, and their accuracy was also slightly lower. These findings suggest that, in the case of long passages such as those used in this study, the cognitive load imposed by less readable text may interfere with comprehension, potentially offsetting the benefits predicted by the disfluency effect.