Japanese readers' comprehension of and preferences for inductively versus deductively organized text

When document designers in English-speaking countries localize documents for readers in other cultures, they should consider what text organization will best suit those readers. This study examines the effect of inductive versus deductive organizational patterns on Japanese readers so as to identify what pattern may best suit them. The study assessed Japanese readers' comprehension of and preference for expository text that contains a thesis and is organized either inductively or deductively. The results reveal that readers recall more information from inductively organized text. Preference results were less clear. The implications for native English speaking document designers are discussed at length.