Are Audio Books as Good as Reading?

ARE AUDIO BOOKS AS GOOD FOR YOU AS READING?

For passionate book lovers who struggle to find time to sit down and read, audio books have become a popular alternative. But some wonder if simply listening to a book provides the same benefits as reading one the old-fashioned way.

A new study from researchers at Bloomsburg University sought to compare comprehension between reading a book versus listening to the audio version.

The study divided participants into two groups. One group was given sections of a book to read. The other group was provided the same sections in audio format to listen to.

After reading or listening, both groups were tested on their comprehension of the material. The results showed no significant differences in comprehension between those who had read the book sections versus those who had listened to them.

Researchers took it a step further by having a third group both read and listen to the sections simultaneously. Again, the comprehension results were on par with those who just read or just listened.

The takeaway from this study is welcome news for fans of audio books. It provides scientific evidence that listening to a book appears to provide very similar benefits in terms of comprehension as sitting down and reading it the old-fashioned way.

While reading a physical book allows you to set your own pace and visually see the words on the page, listening to an audio version also has its perks. Audio books allow multi-tasking, providing a way to enjoy books while commuting, exercising or completing chores.

For voracious readers who have limited time but want to enjoy more books, audio book adaptations appear to deliver comparable benefits in comprehension. This offers validation that listening to a good book is almost as good as curling up with one.