How should you read Moby Dick: in an old paperback, or just pull it up on your tablet? Well, if you want to remember any of it, go with the paperback.
A study published in the International Journal of Educational Research had found that people have better reading comprehension when using a book instead of a Kindle. Researchers gave fifty readers the same short story by Elizabeth George to read. Half read the story on a Kindle and half in paperback. Readers then answered a series of questions about characters and the order in which plot points occurred. The readers equipped with paperbacks did much better than those with Kindles.
What’s going on? Well, the hepatic feedback of actually turning a page might have something to do with it. Beyond that, we aren’t really sure—but we’re fine with sticking with paperbacks.
