Book readers remember plots better than those who read e-books – study

Slim and compact, e-book readers like Kindles can store multitudes of books in a single, paperback-sized space in a backpack.

However, a recent study by a Norwegian university revealed that Kindle readers aren't as immersed in stories as their book-reading counterparts.

Presented at a conference in July, lead researcher Anne Mangen of Norway's Stavanger University noted that book readers could reconstruct events in a story better than Kindle readers could.

The Guardian wrote that Kindle readers "performed significantly worse" when asked to recount 14 events in a 28-page short story in chronological order.

Conducted with 50 readers, researchers suggested that the tactile feedback of books helps greatly in helping readers remember plot, saying the "gradual unfolding of paper" assisted in providing a sense of progress while reading.

"Perhaps this somehow aids the reader, providing more fixity and solidity to the reader's sense of unfolding and progress of the text," Business Insider said, quoting the study.

Using graphics, New York Times showed that 57 percent of paper readers had more correct answers when it came to time and events, scoring 13 percent more than e-book readers. Paper readers were also able to recognize settings, characters, and objects more than their e-book reading counterparts.

An earlier article from Scientific American stated that, while digital readings may initially prove problematic, shifting attitudes to digital media may eventually change this.

Quoting Abigail Sellen of Microsoft Research Cambridge, SA wrote that once people get over their "initial reluctance" of e-books, reading comprehension in e-readers may eventually reach those of their paper-reading peers. — Rie Takumi/JDS, GMA News