Interrelation of the popular scientific text on depression characteristics and the degree of its comprehension

Frolova Yuliya, Karpovich Maria

The aim of the study was to compare the degree of understanding and evaluation of a popular science text depending on its content and stylistic characteristics. The subjects were offered various modifications of the text about the causes and symptoms of depression. The results of the semi-structured interview showed that the text containing the definition of special terms and examples was the most comprehensive, while the structured text with highlighted fragments received the highest number of positive ratings. The data obtained indicate the need for a cognitive assessment of popular science texts to correct fragments that cause misunderstanding.

Keywords:depression; science popularization, popular texts; cognitive interviewing; text comprehension.