The Effects of Information Format and Reading Task on Mobile User’s Reading Behavior: A Cognitive Fit Perspective

The ownership of mobile devices rapidly expand which results to the behavior of reading is transformed. A central feature to the success of mobile publications is the design of an effective interface to link text to image information. However, the suitability of the prevalent information formats in supporting various mobile reading tasks is not known. Using the cognitive fit theory as the theoretical framework, we developed a research model to investigate the fit between information format and reading task, and examined its influence on mobile user’s reading performance and perceptions of reading experience. As the information format has been shown to affect readers’ mobile reading behavior, even when the information content is held constant, the practical implications for mobile publication designers include providing both types of information format on their mobile publications and matching the appropriate information format to the individual reader’s task.