An examination of icons, signal words, color, and messages in warnings for children on the Internet

Abstract

Most minors have unrestricted access to the Internet, which, along with educational content, contains deleterious content not appropriate for minors. A system of warnings targeting minors on the Internet was developed and tested. The present study examined selected icons in combination with signal words, color, and warning messages. Three hundred and fifty-three adults and ten children participated in the study. Five most effective icons from a previous study were paired with signal words (STOP and WARNING) printed in black and red, along with warning messages, ranging in severity and explicitness. Results indicated that the signal word STOP was rated higher overall than WARNING, red was rated higher than black, and ratings for warning messages increased as the message explicitness and severity increased across a range of dependent variables including understandability and carefulness. A four-way icon x color x signal word x warning message interaction was found. Implications for warning design are discussed.