Viewer reaction to different television captioning speeds

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Media Accessibility
• Audiology

Background:

• Captioning is crucial for media accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments.
• Understanding optimal captioning speeds is essential for viewer comprehension and engagement.
• Previous research established average captioning rates in television programming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the preferred caption speed for optimal viewer comfort and comprehension.
• To assess viewer tolerance for varying caption speeds across different demographics.
• To compare preferred caption speeds with existing television captioning rates.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 578 participants (deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing) viewing video segments captioned at different speeds.
• Participants rated caption speeds using a five-point scale, identifying their "OK" or comfortable speed.
• Analysis of preferences based on viewer demographics and viewing habits.

Main Results:

• The optimal "OK" caption speed was identified as approximately 145 words per minute (WPM).
• This preferred speed is closely aligned with the average WPM of 141 found in television programs.
• Most viewers could comfortably tolerate speeds up to 170 WPM, with frequent viewers preferring faster rates.
• Hearing viewers, particularly infrequent ones, preferred slightly slower captions, while graduate-level educated participants showed a tendency towards faster preferences.

Conclusions:

• The study validates a comfortable captioning speed close to current broadcast standards.
• Viewer adaptation to higher caption speeds is significant, suggesting potential for increased information delivery.
• Captioning preferences are influenced by viewing frequency and potentially advanced education, but not age or sex.