Page 253 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2015 Vol. 41

252 Journal of Library Science in China, Vol. 7, 2015

embraced 4 aspects including description, summarization, reasoning and memory. Edgar Allan
Poe’s short story“Black Cat”was selected as the test text, for it contained more details, tale
or narrative, meaning through metaphor and symbolic significance; those could meet the test
requirement. The reading test was divided into 2 groups with 20 readers in each group, Group
A for paper book, and Group B for e-book. All readers were from Southeast University Literary
Society. The experiment worked out in 2 stages. Phase 1 was spot field test of reading for 15-20
minutes. Both groups were required to complete the same test questionnaires. Phase 2 was carried
out a month later after the two groups had finished the questionnaires, and readers were required
to answer the same questionnaire again without re-reading Poe’s novel. Their answers were
returned by mail.
Comparative analysis and descriptive statistical method were adopted to analyze the
experimental data and the differences between the two groups and the changes in the earlier and
later periods. Then combined field observation and interview were carried out in order to describe
the basic features and patterns about paper reading and digital reading, and the differences as well
as similarities between the two groups.
The results show that, 1) Group B’s reading speed for e-book was faster than Group A for
p-book. Group A’s reading pattern was row by row, and often looked back in the reading process.
And Group B’s reading pattern was screen for screen, usually browsed over the whole screen,
and seldom looked back. For the same text, Group B tended to skip and skim. 2) No significant
difference was found in understanding and remembering the simple details of the story between
the two groups, nor in the forgetting rate. But to the intricate details of the story, the correct rate of
Group B is much lower than that of Group A. And in understanding comprehension and associative
memory, Group B showed significant difference from Group A. The experiment results showed
that reading cognitive understanding of Group A in p-book was better than that of Group B in
e-book. Misunderstanding and forgetting appeared more often in Group B. Readers in Group B
could not summarize and generalize the central idea of the story well. 3) Pointed comments and
notes in the text could make direct and significant impact on two groups, even influence and
control their judgment.
The experimental results show that readers doing digital reading are more likely to skip and skim.
In terms of recognition, no significant difference for simple information processing between the two
groups, but for complex information processing, the performance of digital reading group is slightly
worse. In long-term memory of the text, the performance of paper reading group is better than
digital reading group. It is necessary to point out that the differences of disciplinary and educational
background among readers of the two groups might have some impact on the test results.
Therefore, research shows that paper reading should favor system thinking, deep understanding
and long-term memory, and digital reading should strengthen the ability of information access.
Readers in digital environment have the necessity to enhance the adaptability of the two reading
modes, and develop digital reading skills, so as to lift the level of reading comprehension. The