Burt 1959

Burt, Cyril. 1959.A psychological study of typography. London: Cambridge University Press. 79 pages. Location: Dallas Public Library CBT 655.2 B973P.

Preliminary study of preferences for different styles of printing. Concern is the preferences of the "overwhelming majority of persons who need to read a great mass of printed matter" (page xv).

Attempts to determine the relative legibility of different styles of printing by means of tests of

• accuracy
• speed
• observations of eye movements
• blinking, and
• other symptoms of eyestrain.

Novelties of the experiment were inclusion of new [1959] type faces and application of crucial tests after a period of preliminary reading to permit fatigue or adaptation.

Subjective data during experiments revealed a highly complex motivation influenced by reading habits and cultural interests of the readers. Explanations for their preferences resembled those found by other researchers who had studied artistic appreciation. Responses also resembled those obtained from projective tests with inkblots and geometric designs.

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