Information discernment and online reading behaviour: an experiment

Purpose This paper intends to explore the relationship between participants' eye fixations (a measure of attention) and durations concentration) on areas interest within a range online articles their levels information discernment sub-process literacy characterising how participants make judgements about information). Design/methodology/approach Eye-tracking equipment was used as proxy for reading behaviour by recording eye-fixations, dwell times regressions in males aged 18–24 ( n = 48). Participants' level determined using quantitative questionnaire. Findings Data indicates viewing behaviours articles' area interest. Those who score highly an questionnaire tended interrogate article structured linear way. with high-level are more likely pay attention article's textual graphical than those exhibiting low-level discernment. Conversely, indicated lack curiosity not interrogating entire article. They were unsystematic saccadic movements spending significantly longer irrelevant areas. Social implications The most profound consequence is that discernment, through particular, could base health, workplace, political or everyday decisions sub-optimal engagement comprehension misinformation (such fake news). Originality/value Ground-breaking analysis persons' self-reported (information specifically) objective measures behaviour.