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The impact of hyperlinks on reading text
Gemma Fitzsimmons1, Mark J Weal2, Denis Drieghe1
1School of Psychology, University of Southampton, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|February 7, 2019
Summary
Blue hyperlinks on the web do not disrupt reading. However, a single colored word may signal importance, leading to less skipping, while web hyperlinks encourage rereading of complex text.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Web Usability
Background:
- The impact of colored text, particularly blue hyperlinks, on reading behavior has been a subject of ongoing debate.
- Understanding how visual elements affect reading is crucial for optimizing web design and user experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of colored words and web hyperlinks on reading behavior using eye-tracking experiments.
- To determine if visual saliency of colored words influences reading patterns.
- To analyze the impact of hyperlinks within web-like environments on text comprehension and rereading.
Main Methods:
- Conducted three eye-tracking experiments.
- Experiments 1 and 2 examined the saliency and reading impact of single vs. multiple colored words in sentences.
- Experiment 3 assessed the effects of hyperlinks in passages within a web-like environment.
Main Results:
- Multiple colored words in text did not negatively affect reading behavior.
- A single colored word reduced skipping rates, suggesting increased perceived importance.
- Participants reread sentences with hyperlinked uncommon words more than those with hyperlinked common words.
Conclusions:
- Visual saliency of single colored words can signal importance, altering reading behavior.
- Web hyperlinks, especially with uncommon words, prompt rereading, indicating their role in highlighting important or complex information.
- Hyperlinks may enhance comprehension by encouraging deeper engagement with challenging content.
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