Study shows iPads yield better reading comprehension than the Kindle, plain paper ... - Healio

SEATTLE – While there was no difference between reading speeds with an iPad, Kindle or plain paper, reading off of an iPad allowed for Significantly Greater comprehension than the Kindle or plain paper, According To a poster presentation here at the American Academy of Optometry annual meeting.

The study included 48 subjects ages 18 to 24 with good near visual acuity and good binocularity. The Neale Analysis of Reading Ability Test was used to control the passages read for reading difficulty. Using a chin rest, set room conditions and randomized presentation orders, one Such passage was presented on a Kindle, an iPad2 and on white laser-printed paper.

Also, half the subject population was made to read the passages at a low contrast level (25%) and half at the highest contrast level.

Mean comprehension scores for the Kindle at high contrast settings were Significantly lower than Those for the iPad ( P <.001) and paper ( P <.05 ).

“Although there was no real difference in reading speed between paper, Kindle or iPad media comprehension ice Affected Significantly,” author Barbara M. Junghans, BOptom, FradDipHEd, PhD, FAAO, told Primary Care Optometry News. “As such, high-resolution handheld electronic devices have the potential to improvement rates of comprehension in young adults. For instance, a young optometrist might have better comprehension reading for continuing education from an iPad than a Kindle or a packet of print outs. “