On the Same Page? What Users Benefit from a Desktop View on Mobile Devices.

This article investigates the impact of hierarchical information architecture (IA) used in mobile content adaptation on users' decision accuracy. Through two controlled laboratory experiments involving online hotel booking tasks, it demonstrates that mobile users exhibit lower decision accuracy when information is segmented across multiple pages (mobile IA) compared to when the same information is presented on a single page (desktop IA). The study explains this effect using the effort-accuracy framework, which posits that users balance cognitive effort and decision accuracy; the mobile IA increases cognitive effort required to integrate information, leading users to adopt heuristic strategies that reduce accuracy. Additionally, the congruence of the mobile IA with user preferences influences effort allocation, with users exerting more effort to maintain accuracy when the IA is incongruent with their preferences. The findings suggest practical implications for online service providers to consider IA design carefully and support the availability of desktop view options on mobile devices to enhance decision quality.