一般来说，任何一种阅读方式都会同时用到大脑的几个区域。读纸质书可以帮助你更好地记住信息，听有声读物可能会帮助你在听到叙述者的情绪时培养同理心。

 

Picture yourself sitting at home in a quiet reading nook, ignoring the world around you, engrossed¹ in a tale. You read the blurb², instantly became intrigued³ and now you're in the middle of an absolute page-turner. But, there's a hot debate – physical books vs. e-books vs. audiobooks. Does the device you're using to read affect your reaction to the book?

 

Generally, reading uses several areas of the brain. There's attention span, reasoning, reading fluency⁴, memory and language comprehension. Reading is known to strengthen communicative ability, vocabulary and increase emotional intelligence and social perception. So, whichever way you're reading, there are definitely benefits.

 

But, let's look at the pros⁵ to reading with your eyes – that's physical books and e-books. They can help to retain information better. This is because when you can actually see the words, your attention is held more closely. Add to this the fact that with physical books you can go back and find any part you missed, especially if your mind wanders, which it likely will at some point or other.

 

On the other hand, there's the audiobook. Headphones in, you're switched off from life and the story really comes alive, almost like watching a film – in your head. From a scientific perspective, listening to an audiobook is likely to help you develop a greater sense of empathy as you hear the emotion of the narrator. We can more easily understand inflection and intonation⁷. Hearing the story engages different parts of the brain, heightening the intensity⁸ and imagery, making you enjoy it more. Yet, going back to attention span, with an audiobook it's true that it's much harder to go back and listen again.

 

All in all, it seems that there are advantages to both physical books and audiobooks. Perhaps, next time you find yourself browsing⁹ bookshop shelves, also consider the format⁶. It may just change your whole literary experience.

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