BY ALISON NISBETT
This article investigated the impact of warnings, signal words (e.g. lethal, danger), and a signal icon (e.g. triangle with exclamation point) on consumers perceived impact of hazardous labels. Participants rated product labels on six questions containing a rating scale on the degree of influence of a label. Five conditions consisting of presented signal words were used including note, caution, warning, danger, and lethal. Sixteen labels were used from household products that included 9 with experimental conditions, and 7 of filler product labels that never carried a warning. In another two conditions, a signal icon was used along with a message of danger or lethal. In last two conditions, one lacked a signal word but still had the warning message and the other lacked both the signal word and the warning message. The results showed that there were significant differences between extreme terms (note and danger) but not between words such as caution and warning which are usually used on present products recommended by design guidelines. The presence of a signal word increased percieved product hazard compared to when it is not there. Use of a signal icon had no effect on hazard perception.
REFERENCE
Jarrard, S. M., Simpson, S. W., and Wogalter, M. S. (1994). Influence of warning label words on perceived hazard level. Human factors, 36(3), 547-556.