ABSTRACT
A basic purpose of warnings is to provide information that enables people to make informed safety decisions. This chapter addresses the concept of explicitness in warnings. Typically, warnings should include hazard, consequences, and instructional information. Circumstances in which it is or is not necessary to provide all three types of information are addressed. Research on the effects of explicit versus nonexplicit information in each of these categories shows that explicit information plays an important role in warning effectiveness. Several warning design principles based on the importance of explicit information are offered.
