{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T20:04:34Z","timestamp":1775073874589,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2006,6,1]],"date-time":"2006-06-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1149120000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Hum Factors"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2006,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p> Objective: To explore the effects of contrast reduction on younger and older adults' reading behavior and to examine whether readers rely on word predictability to compensate for poor contrast. Background: Poor contrast can degrade text and may influence reading behavior. Readers may compensate for visual degradation of text by taking advantage of word predictability. Method: In Experiment 1, 5 younger and 5 older adults read sentences presented with 10 levels of contrast. In Experiment 2, 40 younger and 40 older adults read high-, medium-, and low-contrast sentences that varied in target word predictability (high vs. low). Results: Relative to those of younger adults, older adults' reading rates were more slowed by low contrast; comprehension was less influenced by contrast (i.e., not significantly). Older adults read high-predictability words faster and comprehended them better than low-predictability words, significantly so for high- and medium-contrast sentences. Younger adults comprehended high-predictability words significantly better than low-predictability words for high- and low-contrast sentences. Conclusion: Low contrast was more detrimental for older adults. High-predictability words benefited older adults by significantly reducing their reading times and benefited all readers by significantly increasing their comprehension. Application: The current findings demonstrate the benefit of adequate contrast and word predictability for optimal text design to facilitate both reading times and reading comprehension. <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1518\/001872006777724372","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2006,6,30]],"date-time":"2006-06-30T14:05:24Z","timestamp":1151676324000},"page":"229-240","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Reading in the Dark: Effects of Age and Contrast on Reading Speed and Comprehension"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"48","author":[{"given":"Tracy L.","family":"Mitzner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia"}]},{"given":"Wendy A.","family":"Rogers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2006,6,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"atypb1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/geronj\/46.6.P325"},{"key":"atypb2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0140525X99001788"},{"key":"atypb3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1518\/001872099779591204"},{"key":"atypb4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/archinte.1990.00390160093019"},{"key":"atypb5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0022-5371(80)90312-6"},{"key":"atypb6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00419718"},{"key":"atypb7","volume-title":"E-Prime (Version 1.0) [Computer software]","year":"2000"},{"key":"atypb8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0882-7974.1.2.150"},{"key":"atypb9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0882-7974.9.2.216"},{"key":"atypb10","volume-title":"Memory change in the aged","author":"Hultsch, D. 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