Is it better for your brain, to read, rather than listen to an audiobook?

Question

It's so much easier for me to listen to an audiobook, rather than to read. Educated answers only please.

Answer 1

When reading a story, as opposed to having it read to you, your brain will make up the pictures and actions to match your understanding of what you read. When it is read to you the voice inflections will make up much of the picture for you and your brain isn't reinforcing the letter recognition necessary to continue being a competent reader.

Yes, it ieasier to have it read to you, but you are a big kid now! Dig deeper by reading it yourself. You won't be dissapointed.

Answer 2

I have little to add in addition to the solid answers, and, unless you hear from a cognitive neurologist or other expert, you'll have to settle for our responses. That being said, notice what both you and many of the others have said. "Listening" to a story seems to be easier for many if not most of us. Well, why shouldn't it? We spend a great deal of time listening (though we could argue about listening well) whether we are students or office workers, or parents, children, spouses, etc. It would only make sense that we are fairly adept at processing auditory information. Most of us read much less frequently than we hear, particularly if you consider everyday conversation and chatter as "listening." So, naturally, it is a little more difficult to read. That alone should tell us we need to keep up with it and work at it. I teach, and I hear my students often claim to prefer being read to or (very popular now) to be "visual learners." By that they are excluding reading, even though that is visual. But the analysis is the same. They would simply rather watch the movie than read the book. While I know that many of those so claiming truly have vastly different processing abilities, I can't help but think there's a little convenience and perhaps laziness built into that claim. Given the amount of TV and movies we watch and computer and video games we play at, along with our natural predisposition to receive most of our information visually, of course we are visual learners to a great extent. I would imagine that everyone without a serious visual impairment takes in information more easily that way.
So where does that leave us? We're pretty good at watching TV and movies (though I would argue that we're not necessarily "careful" visual learners) and we can listen to a story pretty well. That's all well and good, but it sounds like we had better darn well work on our reading. It's a totally different skill set, processing information from the written word and making meaning out of it through our imagination and the interaction of the active reader, with all of his/her knowledge and experience, with the written text. Like anything else, the more you do it, the better you will become. And it's worth it. We'll continue to have plenty of opportunities to watch movies and see presentations and hear stories. We had better keep working on the reading. Important parts of our brains are threatening to dry up.

Answer 3

It is my opinion that reading is the most beneficial way to absorb the contents of a book. I feel that the actual seeing(visual)leaves an imprint on the brain, like a photograph.When you look at a word ,the optic nerve in your eye sends a visual image to the brain.Children who are being taught to read, are shown words(the letters of the alphabet)repeatedly ,so they can memorize each letter,see them together i.e.words.By sight repetition the brain memorises the groups of letters, usually associated with a picture for easier recognition. When you listen(audio) your brain does not process the sound in the same manner.I think the visual sense (sight) is more complex than hearing.I think if you had to make an educated guess,between the two senses, sight would be the more significant.

Answer 4

im not certain, but i think both help your brain but in different ways. I happen to be an audible learner. I retain more from hearing it rather than seeing it or reading it. that's why i hate professors that give lots of reading assignments. I would much rather them lecture. I would even prefer a discussion over a lecture. anyway, both reading and listening to an Abook exercise your brain. as far as what's better, i don't know

Answer 5

I read about this, it is different for everyone. Some people are not able to digest a book in the full by listening to a book on tape, and the other way around.

Do what's best for you. I like to read the same books my mother likes to listen to, we both receive the same principals from the book/audio-book.

I read that if you listen to something while you sleep, your mind will learn more. I don't know if this works...

Answer 6

Reading exercises your brain in ways that listening doesn't.
Reading increases your cognitive powers of reasoning,
increases your ability to remember and increases your memory.
Studies have shown that reading, memory games and other
higher order thinking activities reduces the risk of developing
Alzheimer's Disease. Perhaps you should look into why reading is difficult for you and then take steps to improve your reading
ability.

Answer 7

when you read anything, it takes an effort to do it , it takes no effort to hear ,