Applications

It is useful to know the results to my experiments. The reason is because then society will know which font size, colour, type or column width will be most helpful when it comes to trying to make a reading piece that will help people remember the most about what they have just read. Publishers can use this format that has been scientifically proven to publish books, newspapers, magazines and other reading sources if they they are directed to this middle-aged audience. It will be a lot easier to read, and if they remember more information, they may be tempted to buy more of the similar publications. Students can use this format to make things easier for their older teachers to read and remember what they are marking. Then, there won't be the need for mark appealing since all the marking gets done by the teacher correctly the first time. It will help society solve the problem of some minor aging issues that would cause people to forget things a lot easier due to some worn out synaptic connections in their brain. If scientists continue research in this field, it may lead to a new type of memory fixer. The results of this project may eventually expand into the fields of medical science research.

Asking Further Questions
 

After doing this science fair project, I have come across a lot of questions in my mind that I hope to answer for myself in the near future.
       
What about other factors of readability and legibility that may affect the idea memory percentage? There are other factors besides the ones that I have tested. For example, there is the leading, space between letters, etc. Would those make a big difference when it comes to memory too?

Does a brain tumour really affect the idea memory percentage? One of my participants had a brain tumour, but she seemed to score in the average area, and not a bit lower than everybody else, like what most people say about a brain tumour victim's memory. Is this a coincidence, or does this area need to be looked into more?

What about people younger or older than the middle-aged (ages 45-64) age category? What if I were to test people over 65, or people in their mid-30's? Would the results be any different? If yes, how different would they all be? Would I be able to observe a consistent pattern or curve as the age gets older?

What if the people had listened to some classical music while doing this questionnaire? It has been scientifically proven that classical music stimulates the mind. What if I were to combine the power of readability and music to get higher results? What would happen to the results? I could compare the difference of with music and without.

Does this relate to Alzeheimer's disease? What if doing this questionnaire was a way of telling doctors about the weakening of the synaptic connections and NMDA receptors? The idea memory percentage itself relates to Alzeheimer's disease, so why not? This would go into the medical science field instead of social science.

What if it was a auditory test instead of a visual test where they had to listen instead of read? What if it was a test where information was repeated to them through a speaker, and then the tone of voice or loudness would change? Would that affect the memory at all, or make it worse?

Would somebody's IQ (Intelligence Quotient) or EQ (Emotional Intelligence) affect their memory? If yes, how much of a difference would it make? Do smart people have a better memory than people who aren't as smart?

Project Improvements

There are a few things I could have done to make this project better. I could have tested more people than just 74 to get a more reliable data sample. I could have timed the testing so then some people wouldn't read more than they were supposed to, and I could have watched people more closely to make sure they didn't peek at the questionnaires during the answering part of the test. I could have made sure that they were in an environment that was quiet so they could concentrate more, without other social interaction and noise. I could have also made sure that people were in a mood where they could complete the test with ease, instead of being tired, and I could have ensured that the participant had their glasses handy. Also, my random selection of participants was not very random, considering the fact that I may have missed a few categories of adults by just going to parents, the airport and the library. There are many people of similar educational backgrounds there, and not as broad of a range of people.

I could have done my experiment differently as well. I could've used people of a different age category for possible different results such as people over 65, or people in their mid-30's. Instead of calculating the idea memory percentage, I could've done something else to measure memory instead. This would not necessary be better or more accurate, but it is a different way to do things. I could've also tried handwritten fonts and such instead of computer-generated, typed letters. Perhaps that would affect the memory just like this experiment's fonts do.  I could've tested other factors of readability and legibility too. There are a lot of things that I could've done to make this project very different from what it currently is.