Audiobooks vs. Reading: How Do They Affect the Brain?

The rise of audiobooks has taken the world by storm. With industry leaders like Spotify, Audible, and Apple Books making audiobooks widely accessible, it’s no wonder they have been gaining popularity in recent years. However, many people wonder whether listening to a book is the same as reading it. According to a recent poll, about 40 percent of Americans think that listening to a book does not count as reading. We will unpack the debate of audiobooks vs. reading, and determine whether differences in literary formats significantly affect learning, understanding, and comprehension.

Differences in Processes

Whether you read or listen, your brain uses the same language and cognitive systems. Both reading and listening allow language to reach the brain, where it is processed by systems that shape meaning, memory, and comprehension.

Reading

Reading requires your brain to decode information. This involves:

• Visually recognizing written symbols (shapes of letters and words)
• Connecting these symbols to speech sounds
• Attaching meaning to these sounds and holding them in working memory to form concepts and build comprehension
• Using visual structure such as punctuation marks, italics, and paragraph breaks to promote understanding

Reading also requires a higher level of active engagement because the reader controls the pace and, therefore, the speed of information processing. This control allows readers to pause, reread, or reflect on the content. One study has shown that this active engagement and the need for effortful processing help increase comprehension and memory retention, particularly for complicated storylines or dense material.

Listening

Audiobooks are understood through auditory channels. When you listen,

• Your ears pick up sound waves that are processed in the auditory cortex
• Words and sentences are introduced already assembled, ready to be taken in by the brain’s language network
• You need to recognize the narrator’s voice, tone, and pace to understand the meaning.
• With no need to translate symbols to sounds, your brain entirely focuses on gaining meaning, relating ideas, and developing memory from the sounds and rhythm

Without the need to decode information, audiobooks tend to feel like they are a less effortful option. However, there is less control when listening to books, and since the pace is set by the narrator (though it can sometimes be adjusted in settings), this can lead to reduced engagement with the literature. One study found that students who read material performed significantly better on a quiz than students who listened to the same material on a podcast. Audiobooks, though, are sometimes seen as superior at creating emotion and nuance because the narrator can make the story seem more compelling.

Considering Cognitive Processing Differences

For people with dyslexia, ADHD, or other impairments, audiobooks may be a good option. People with dyslexia struggle with decoding, which is applying their knowledge of written language to pronounce written words correctly. Therefore, listening to literature can help their brains make meaning without decoding. By listening instead of reading, cognitive and emotional resources can be conserved. This can help people with cognitive processing impairments become more confident and allow them to consume more literature than they previously thought possible. This also helps them form a better relationship with books and literature.

Conclusion

Cognitively, reading and listening to literature engage the same systems in our brains. While visually reading may be more effortful, there may be a better chance of increased comprehension. Alternatively, audiobooks provide flexibility and access to literature to people who struggle with cognitive processing. What is important, though, is that people are reading and enjoying the process.