Influence of text formatting on the identification of important properties

In our experiment, we presented a text in which certain words from a defined list were highlighted in bold and underlined. The question was formulated in such a way that a person would most likely identify these highlighted terms as the central features of the list.

However, the results showed that regardless of the format chosen - be it bold, underline or a combination - the formatting had no influence on the generation of the response. In further tests, H1 elements were even used to emphasise important terms even more. Here, too, there was no effect.

Instead, the proximity of the terms in the text proved to be a decisive factor. This means that it is not the visual or structural emphasis, but the relative position of the terms within the text that has a decisive influence on which information is recognised as relevant and included in the response.

The question here is:

Name the most important characteristic of a German Shepherd. Name only one.

The connection between labelling as semantic emphasis in the text and the importance of this must be recognised.