The more information voters have about the Scottish independence referendum debate, the more likely they are to vote yes, according to researchers.

A study by the Behavioural Laboratory at the University of Edinburgh found that when undecided voters are presented with a balanced set of arguments, their support for independence increased by between 10% and 15%.

This rose amongst individuals who described themselves as more engaged with politics, to between 18% and 22%.

A group of nearly 300 took part in the study in April and May this year. Before the experiment, 70% described themselves either undecided or open to changing their minds. Researchers found that when more information was provided, the level of indecision amongst these voters had halved.

The voters were split into groups and presented with 16 articles, sourced from a mix of media and campaign materials, evenly split in favour of and against independence.

Some groups were allowed to choose which articles they read, while others were asked to select a balance from each side of the debate.

The majority of participants who could choose their articles opted for a balance of items, although voters who were already decided were significantly more likely to select an unbalanced selection.

The likelihood of voting no among undecided voters only increased in the group that chose which articles to read and, even then, only in a few cases.

Davide Morisi, from the European University Institute in Florence and lead researcher on the study, said: "Since independence is related to more uncertainty than keeping the status quo, reading convincing arguments has a stronger effect on a yes vote, because it contributes to reducing these uncertainties to an 'acceptable' level."

He added that, while it might seem obvious that it is possible to demonstrate that information has a causal effect on indecision, "it is quite astonishing to think that the subjects read this material for only 15 minutes but it still had a great effect. This is good news for the referendum campaign."