Factorial analysis of the original and the simplified Flesch reading ease formulas

Abstract

An experiment was designed to examine factorially the effects of various factors on the time and accuracy of naive subjects (freshman English students) in performing readability counts. The factors were: (1) difficulty of reading material; (2) the type of count performed; (3) reading ability of subjects; (4) sex of subjects. One syllable words were counted about 25% faster than syllables. A significant interaction was found between type of count and difficulty level: the syllable count was more accurate with easy material; the one syllable word count, with difficult material. The authors conclude that the new formula is simpler since it can be applied with greater accuracy in less time. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)