The Bullpen

[thefreakytiki]

http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-users-reading-statistics-versus-newspapers-2011-5

STUDY: iPad Readers Are Skimming And Can't Remember What They've Read



French consulting firm Miratech just published a research report claiming that users reading news on an iPad are less focused than when reading a newspaper.
They used eye-tracking techniques in order to study the way people read, as well as how long people spend looking at each part of a page.
Miratech concludes that "Readers are more likely to skim over articles on an iPad than in a newspaper."
Some bullet points from the research report:

•  20% of users have better retention when they read something on paper versus on an iPad

•  There's no difference in the amount of time it takes a person to read an article on an iPad versus in a newspaper

•  On average, eyes linger longer on paper, implying more focused reading (40 ms longer on print)

•  People's "gaze patterns" when they first look at a page are identical on an iPad versus a print newspaper.


So will the disposable entertainment now become the forgettable one as well?



the Tiki

[Lucien21]

Ahhh

I forgot what I was going to say.

What's this topic about again?




 

[tomkaters]

This looks like the US Today of studies (more pictures than words):

http://www.miratech.com/blog/eye-tracking-etude-iPad-vs-journal.html

"The average time taken to read an article on each medium is very similar."

vs.

"A more detailed analysis shows that the eyes linger longer on the paper version (275 ms on paper versus 231 ms on the iPad)."

What does linger mean? I wouldn't consider spending an extra .044 seconds much of a linger.


Also:

Why only an iPad and not other readers included?
How did they measure rentention rates?

[thefreakytiki]

I first learned of this article from this week's episode of This Week in Tech.  The panel had a nice debate on the study.  I just found it curious and wondered how the new habit would play out for comics.


the Tiki

[tomkaters]

I am surprised this study is getting so much play A there is little to no explanation of what the nuts and bolts methodology was, the demographics of the group, how they selected those for the study, units of measurement, etc.

This is the problem with these research studies by Consulting Firms. I am guessing they either will offer or are offering consulting on how to get YOUR webpage to be retained like a newspaper....or your ads, etc.

[elemental]

Would be interesting to see this compared to not just ipads but computer screens when consuming the same type of information. I have read some digital comics on my laptop screen and I find i just don't engage with it as much as when it is in print. I read it quicker and take in less of the information especially the art work.

I had wondered if I was reading digital comics on an ipad type device if that would change, but as I don't have the money for one I won't be finding out any time soon.

Also I agree there doesn't appear to be enough information on how this study was conducted in order to give it any validity, but it is an interesting talking point.

[tomkaters]

Miratech also discovered this nugget:

"The most effective ads are those that show a sensual man, include text, and are well integrated with the web page."

http://www.miratech.com/blog/eye-tracking-etude-publicites-analyse-conjointe.html

[Julian Lytle]

http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-users-reading-statistics-versus-newspapers-2011-5

STUDY: iPad Readers Are Skimming And Can't Remember What They've Read



French consulting firm Miratech just published a research report claiming that users reading news on an iPad are less focused than when reading a newspaper.
They used eye-tracking techniques in order to study the way people read, as well as how long people spend looking at each part of a page.
Miratech concludes that "Readers are more likely to skim over articles on an iPad than in a newspaper."
Some bullet points from the research report:

•  20% of users have better retention when they read something on paper versus on an iPad

•  There's no difference in the amount of time it takes a person to read an article on an iPad versus in a newspaper

•  On average, eyes linger longer on paper, implying more focused reading (40 ms longer on print)

•  People's "gaze patterns" when they first look at a page are identical on an iPad versus a print newspaper.


So will the disposable entertainment now become the forgettable one as well?



the Tiki

What are the demographics of the users they tested in this study. I don't really have time to read the link.

[lugaru]

Reduced Retention would be the best thing that ever happened to comics writers.

No more continuity arguments, no more fact checking, not to mention the ability to tell the same story again and again.

Unfortunately as per the article you post it does not affect 80% of users.   

[evaD]

What's this thread about again?

[Dean S.]

I'm with Tom on this.  When people publish a study like this in a serious and scholarly journal....I'll take it seriously.  Consultant run surveys usually have lots of glaring problems in their methodology.

[Night (Travis) Nurse]

I'm with Tom on this.  When people publish a study like this in a serious and scholarly journal....I'll take it seriously.  Consultant run surveys usually have lots of glaring problems in their methodology.

Truth

Travis

[NiceAndBlue]

-Not a credible peer reviewed journal
-Horribly designed study.....I'm hesitant to even call it a study because that might give the term "study" a bad rap.

Our next newsletter will present some more surprising results, this time on ad visibility.

Never saw that coming. 

[Dean S.]

A little off topic for the thread, but seems like folks have mostly said their piece about the study....

I was reminded of another benefit of digital in the "print vs. digital debate".  Wife is traveling, as my daughter was getting herself ready for bed, I was in my comic closet doing 10 minutes of organizing. 

EVERY time I do this, she marches in and tells me (gleefully) how much trouble I will be in if/when "Mom" ever opens the closet and sees the mountain of comics in there.  For disclosure's sake, I have a wonderful wife who doesn't complain about the hobby (as long as there aren't comics strewn through every room of the house), but I still really wouldn't mind the majority of them being on my iPad so that the acquisition of comics was mostly invisible.