Mixing your styles up

Will a marketing document with headings in US-format capital letters at the start of each word be congruent if it is paired with body text that adheres to UK/Australian spelling? Will there be some psychological resistance by the reader to this document?

According to science, yes there will be.

A marketing document with headings in US-format capital letters paired with body text using UK/Australian spelling may face some psychological resistance from readers. The study indicates that inappropriate capitalisation, such as using capital letters unnecessarily, can reduce the perceived trustworthiness of a text. This effect is independent of spelling errors, which also decrease trustworthiness, and both factors together have an additive negative impact on perception.

Key insights

• Capitalisation impact: Using capital letters inappropriately, such as for emphasis or in headings, can make a document seem less trustworthy. This is perceived as a form of incivility or disregard towards the reader.
• Spelling consistency: While the study specifically addresses spelling errors, it suggests that any deviation from expected norms, such as mixing US and UK/Australian spelling, might similarly affect trustworthiness, though this specific aspect was not directly tested.
• Additive effects: The combination of inappropriate capitalisation and spelling inconsistencies can further decrease the perceived trustworthiness of a document, suggesting that maintaining consistency in both areas is important for reader perception.

Conclusion

While the study does not directly address the combination of US-format capitalisation with UK/Australian spelling, it highlights that both inappropriate capitalisation and spelling inconsistencies can independently and additively reduce trustworthiness. Therefore, it is likely that such a combination in a marketing document could lead to some psychological resistance from readers. Maintaining consistency in both capitalisation and spelling is advisable to enhance trustworthiness.

Sources

Johnson, A., Wilson, J., & Roscoe, R. (2017). College student perceptions of writing errors, text quality, and author characteristics. Assessing Writing, 34, 72-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ASW.2017.10.002 

Korhonen, M. (2015). Spelling the extra letter? The case of Australian English. English Today, 31, 5-9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078414000492 

Witchel, H., Thompson, G., Jones, C., Westling, C., Romero, J., Nicotra, A., Maag, B., & Critchley, H. (2020). Spelling Errors and Shouting Capitalization Lead to Additive Penalties to Trustworthiness of Online Health Information: Randomized Experiment With Laypersons. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22. https://doi.org/10.2196/15171