Effects of recap strategies on television news recall and retention

This study investigated the effects of short, headline‐type recaps on the recall of specific information and the gist of the stories in a television news program. A 10‐item program which included either oral recaps, oral‐plus‐graphic recaps, or no recaps was viewed by 881 subjects in three strata of educational level. Recaps were found to increase retention of the gist of the stories, but did not affect retention of specific details. No differences were found between the two types of recap. In addition, recaps supplanted rather than supplemented unrecapped items that had been viewed previously.