Comparative accuracy of recognizing American and international road signs

This study investigated the hypothesis that symbol road signs (similar to the international signs) could be more accurately recognized than word road signs (typical of the American signs). The Ss were 81 college undergraduates. The hypothesis was significantly supported under 2 conditions. Under 1 condition, both the symbols and signs were black; in the other, the symbols were black and red. A further phase of the study demonstrated the ease with which the symbol signs were learned. A simple memory test conducted 24 hr. after the learning indicated perfect recall of the symbol signs and their meaning. The potential significance of the results and research possibilities were discussed.