The effect of document source trustworthiness on the evaluation and strategic use of embedded sources when reading health information online

The organization of sources into layers may have an impact on the way readers evaluate conflicting documents online. Two experiments (n = 131) examined whether undergraduates use metadata from the document to evaluate the contents and embedded sources included in that document. Participants read two texts about treatments for a rare disease put forward by two neutral characters (the embedded sources). Each text was manipulated so that it was published by a trustworthy or untrustworthy document source. In Experiment 1, participants performed the task using their own criteria. In Experiment 2, they received a pre-training on how to evaluate sources. Participants used more information (cited more sources and preferred the treatment) and rated the embedded source as more trustworthy when associated to a trustworthy document, but only in Experiment 2. In conclusion, readers can strategically use multiple source layers, suggesting a networked source representation, but contingent to task specifications.