2025/03/24 by R. Lane Adams, Jennifer Wiley · 1 voice · 2 citations
Psychology · Decision Sciences · #Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes #Creativity in Education and Neuroscience #Technology Adoption and User Behaviour
paper · doi:10.1080/0163853x.2025.2476326
openalex publication_date 2025/03/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
The place-on-the-page (POP) effect, originally identified in the 1970s, refers to the phenomenon where readers can accurately recall the spatial location of information within a text. This study explored the impact of prior domain knowledge on the POP effect. In addition, this study also explored the impacts of digital presentation on the ability to locate POP. Undergraduate students read a baseball-themed passage in various formats (paginated, scrolling with dividers, scrolling without dividers) and from different media/devices (paper, computer, phone). After reading, they completed POP and comprehension tests. Readers with greater domain knowledge showed greater comprehension and POP across all conditions. Further, paginated formats generally led to better greater comprehension and POP than scrolling formats consistent with theories suggesting a role for spatial memory in the reading process.