Visuals are often used to enhance learning of scientific information. The recent emergence and popularity of comic-style instruction books for adults, such as the ‘manga guide to …’, shows the possibility of comic style visualisations for the communication of science with adults. This study investigates whether the addition and style of visual accompaniment of scientific information, as used in comic books, influences immediate and short-term fact recall in an adult audience. Participants (n = 310 aged 18–79, 52% identified as female) were presented 20 general science facts in one of five styles: (1) text alone, (2) photo with text caption, (3) cartoon with text caption, (4) photo with explanatory agent and a speech bubble, (5) cartoon with explanatory agent and a speech bubble. Immediate recall, and confidence in that recall, was tested following a brief distractor. Participants indicated their preferred presentation style, and short-term recall was tested by a final quiz of all 20 facts. Overall, the most preferred presentation style was cartoon with explanatory agent and text in a speech bubble (26% preferred). There was no single most effective presentation style; there was no significant difference in immediate recall, short term recall or confidence in answers depending on whether the fact was presented as text, photo or cartoon, or the presence or absence of an explanatory agent. However, immediate recall was significantly better when preference was met (p < 0.02). We found that the style of visual accompaniment of scientific information in accordance with the ‘manga guide to…’ format influenced immediate, but not short-term, fact recall in an adult audience when written English literacy, scientific literacy and non-verbal intelligence were taken into account. Short term recall of scientific facts may best be served by presenting facts in multiple styles, or enquiring about and then meeting participant preference for visual accompaniment.

视觉效果通常用于增强对科学信息的学习。最近出现并流行的成人漫画风格的指导书，例如“……的漫画指南”，显示了漫画风格可视化用于与成人进行科学交流的可能性。这项研究调查了漫画书中使用的科学信息的视觉伴奏的添加和风格是否会影响成人观众的即时和短期事实回忆。参与者 ( n = 310 名 18-79 岁，52% 被确定为女性）以五种风格之一呈现 20 个一般科学事实：(1) 单独的文字，(2) 带有文字说明的照片，(3) 带有文字说明的卡通片，(4)带有解释性代理和讲话泡泡的照片，（5）带有解释性代理和讲话泡泡的卡通片。在短暂的干扰之后测试了即时回忆和对该回忆的信心。参与者表明了他们喜欢的演讲风格，并通过对所有 20 个事实的最终测验来测试短期回忆。总体而言，最喜欢的演示风格是卡通，带有解释性代理和对话气泡中的文本（26% 首选）。没有一种最有效的演示风格；根据事实是否以文本形式呈现，在即时回忆、短期回忆或对答案的信心方面没有显着差异，照片或卡通片，或是否存在解释性代理。然而，当满足偏好时，立即回忆明显更好（p  < 0.02)。我们发现，当书面英语素养、科学素养和非语言智力水平较低时，符合“漫画指南……”格式的科学信息的视觉伴奏风格会影响成年观众的直接而非短期的事实回忆。考虑到。科学事实的短期回忆最好通过以多种方式呈现事实，或询问并满足参与者对视觉伴奏的偏好。