PROCEEDINGS of the HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY 37th ANNUAL MEETlNG-1993 Connoted Strength of Signal Words by Elderly and Non-Native English Speakers

A number of recent studies have examined the connoted strength of signal words used in sign and product label warnings. These words,. such as D.ANGER, WARNIN.G, and CAUTION, are intended to differentiate various levels of hazard (high to low, respecl1vely). Until recently, most studies have only used college students to evaluate signal words. Other populations who are at least equal to or possess greater risk of injury have not been studied. The main purpose of the present research was to determine whether other populations ~f persons, namely the elderly and non-native Englisb speakers, derive similar meanings (i.e., connoted levels of hazard) from the SIgnal words as have been sbown in previous work for college students, as well as, for a sample of grade-school. chi~dren tested in Silver and Wogalter (1991). A sample of 98 elderly persons and 135 non-native English speakers rated 43 potential.slgnal words on how careful ~ey would be after seeing each term. The results showed that the rank ordering of the words ~ ~ns1Stent a~oss ~th group ~ and ~1S order corresponded with the ratings from earlier-studied populations. Moreover, there was a SIgnificant negative linear relationship betw~n the number of words the non·native English speakers left blank and ratings of understandability by college students in previous research. The forensic implications and practical relevance of these results for hazard communication to diverse populations are discussed. IN1RODUCTION Current standards and guidelines on warning desig