No. of views : (1690)
Reading on non digital platforms helps more abstract thinking, says study
Posted on: 10/May/2016 11:37:16 AM
A study conducted by researchers from Dartmouth University has found that reading on digital platforms makes users more inclined to focus on concrete details rather than interpreting information more abstractly. Say the researchers, The findings serve as another wake-up call to how digital media may be affecting our likelihood of using abstract thought.
The researchers asked a basic question - would processing the same information on a digital versus non-digital platform affect construal levels - the fundamental level of concreteness versus abstractness that people use in perceiving and interpreting behaviours, events and other informational stimuli.
The researchers tried to hold as many factors as possible constant between digital and non digital platforms. For example, content such as reading material was published with the same print size and format in both the digital and print versions.
The entire search was comprised of four studies. All the studies evaluated how information processing is affected by each of the platforms. 300 participants took part in the research. They were aged between 20 and 24 years. They were asked to read a shot story on a physical print out, i.e. a non digital platform, or on a PDF on a PC, i.e. a digital platform. Once they read the story, they were asked to take a pop quiz, a paper and pencil comprehension tests. Participants who read on the non digital platforms scored higher on inference of abstract questions. They were 66 percent correct, compared to the 48 percent who read on the digital platforms.
Say the researchers, On the concrete questions, participants using the digital platform scored better with 73 per cent correct, as compared to those using the non-digital platform, who had 58 per cent correct. Participants were then told to read a table of information about four, fictitious Japanese car models on either a PC laptop screen or paper print-out, and were then asked to select which car model is superior. As many as 66 per cent of the participants using the non-digital platform (printed materials) reported the correct answer, as compared to 43 per cent of those using the digital platform. Triggering a more abstract mindset prior to an information processing task on a digital platform appeared to help facilitate a better performance on tasks that require abstract thinking. Given that psychologists have shown that construal levels can vastly impact outcomes such as self-esteem and goal pursuit, it is crucial to recognise the role that digitisation of information might be having on this important aspect of cognition.
Post your requirement - We will connect with the right vendor or service provider
