People who have invested in a tablet computer are more likely to click on ads, and spend more money online, according to a survey.

The study was undertaken by Nielsen Consulting, and seems to suggest that whilst buying a smartphone is considered the first step towards changing online attitudes, those who have spent the cash to get a tablet are more likely to be spending the most in future.

According to Nielsen’s European managing director of telecoms practise David Gosen, this is because tablets have “got the user interface absolutely right.”

1,762 users of various types were questioned, and over 1,000 of these were tablet users; although more than 400 users connected to the web via their smartphones as well.

1 in 10 tablet users said they had made a purchase as a direct result of content they had seen while browsing using the device, compared to the smartphone users’ 7%.

Almost half of the tablet users questioned said they could remember ads they had seen on their device, whilst only 37% of phone users said they could.

The larger screen is certainly a factor, but Gosen put the figures down to tablet users “[becoming] mesmerized with what they see” as a result of browsing at home.