Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ames!mailrus!uflorida!haven!umbc3!drew
From: drew@umbc3.UMBC.EDU (Drew Eisenhauer)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Spelling and Perceptual Mode (was: Effects of poor writing?)
Message-ID: <2032@umbc3.UMBC.EDU>
Date: 12 May 89 21:04:41 GMT
References: <39131@bbn.COM> <1982@trantor.harris-atd.com> <187@intek01.UUCP> <8068@thorin.cs.unc.edu> <4412@ttidca.TTI.COM> <39850@bbn.COM>
Reply-To: drew@umbc3.umbc.edu.UMBC.EDU (Drew Eisenhauer)
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Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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In article <39850@bbn.COM> presnik@labs-n.bbn.com (Philip Resnik) writes:

>the discussion... began... with a query from me:  I was
>seeking studies concerning the extent to which the spelling, grammar, etc.
>in advertisements and presentations influences personal choice.  I'd love
>to show people (e.g. advertisers) that poor English is losing them business;
>it might give them a financial motivation to clean up their act.  (Certainly
>nothing but a financial motivation will convince them to so!)
>
>Unfortunately, aside from one suggestion to look in Psychological Abstracts,
>no responses to my query have been forthcoming.  If I find anything 
>interesting,I'll let you know!

If you're looking for the results of studies which will demonstrate the rate
at which poor spelling, grammar, or diction "turns off" or "on" a subject I
can't help you right off-hand. But, you may find references to studies of this
nature and a wealth of knowledge on the subject from any one of a number of
good technical writing texts and certainly the instructor's who use them.
The academic side of technical writing is a growing field as English deptart-
ments around the country try to work closer and closer with industry (which
is an attempt to justify English studies as a practical and necessary academic
discipline).  Your argument is one of the major selling points of this project,
(I don't mean to sound so negative only realistic) and I'm sure they've got 
loads of stuff on the subject.-- 
I tell you: one must still have chaos in one, to give birth to a dancing star.
I tell you: ye have still chaos in you.
-Thus spake Zarathrustra.
internet: drew@umbc3.umbc.edu   bitnet: eisenhauer@umbc