@article{wogalter_howe_sifuentes_luginbuhl_1999, title={On the adequacy of legal documents: factors that influence informed consent}, volume={42}, ISSN={["1366-5847"]}, DOI={10.1080/001401399185504}, abstractNote={People are frequently asked to make commitments by signing contracts, consent forms and other legal documents. Although it is prudent to read these forms carefully, people sometimes do not do so. The present research sought to assess some of the factors related to the usability of legal documents. In study 1, participants reported that they had signed a variety of legal documents that they did not fully read or understand. They also identified characteristics that hinder understanding and offered suggestions for improvement. In study 2, another group of participants rated those characteristics and confirmed the first study's findings. Study 3 measured the effects of three different research participation consent forms: conventional ‘legalistic’, improved, and one-line (control). Results showed that the improved form significantly enhanced comprehension compared to the conventional form and both were higher than the control. Even though comprehension with the conventional legalistic consent form was poor, ...}, number={4}, journal={ERGONOMICS}, author={Wogalter, MS and Howe, JE and Sifuentes, AH and Luginbuhl, J}, year={1999}, month={Apr}, pages={593–613} }