Introduction: This case study was conducted in 2023 to identify app development opportunities within the adult literacy & adult reader space. I drafted & finalized all sections, administered the trial, and applied revisions based on feedback from product managers and the marketing team .
Sample Size: 53 adult individuals
The Unread Shelf: Exploring Adult Reading Habits and Motivation Gaps
- The Unread Shelf: Exploring Adult Reading Habits and Motivation Gaps
Overview
This case study investigates the challenges faced by adults who wish to commit to a regular reading practice but struggle to do so. The research involved 50+ individual adult readers and aimed to identify the barriers preventing them from achieving their reading goals. The findings are intended to inspire the development of a motivation or accountability app that can be utilized by online & brick and mortar book retailers, publishing houses, and long-form UGC blogging platforms like Medium.
Research Plan
Background
Despite an expressed motivation in reading for leisure, career advancement, and/ or personal enrichment, many adults struggle to commit to a regular reading practice. A 2022 study with a sample size of over 2000 adults revealed that nearly 30% of millennials and 17% of Baby Boomers are unable to finish the books that they start. The same study found that those who finish at least one book are 29 times more likely to read a minimum of one more book within the year. Across multiple sources ranging from media publications, to blog posts, to academic, peer-reviewed articles, four factors stood out as contributors to this pattern of procrastination: 1. a perceived sense of inadequacy, 2. a discordant pairing between reading comprehension level and book difficulty, 3. digital content burnout, and 4. a perception that reading should be arduous and unenjoyable.
Engaging in consistent reading not only fosters confidence but also improves memory retention, enhances mental agility, nurtures critical thinking skills, and positively impacts overall mental health. These benefits underscore the importance of identifying and overcoming obstacles that hinder aspiring readers’ commitment to regular reading.
Objective
To comprehend the goals of aspiring adult readers in adopting a consistent reading habit and to gain a comprehensive understanding of the obstacles they encounter while striving to finish their selected books.
Research Questions
- How/ why do aspiring adult readers choose the book titles they attempt to read?
- What are some common challenges that aspiring adult readers face when attempting to complete a book ?
- What do aspiring readers expect to gain from a regular reading practice?
Methodology
Selected participants will take part in a 10-15 minute survey
Participant Characteristics
The following are the primary characteristics of the study’s participants:
- Is over the age of 18 and
- Interested in increasing the number of books they read each year and
- Has attempted to read a book that they could not finish within the last 5 years and
- Values reading and learning
Recruiting Participants
Participants will be recruited via official social media accounts and email lists of preparer.
Schedule
- Send out Survey: 11/27
- End Survey: 11/29
- Findings completed: 11/30
Secondary Research
Summary of Findings
To be smarter, deeper, more adult: these are motivations shared by many wannabe adult readers. For those who look to book choices as measures of their intelligence, depth, self-discipline, and creativity, a misalignment between their desired book identity and their authentic interests can pose challenges to motivation, focus, and follow-through. Book titles selected for their impressiveness rather than their ability to engage or entertain often prove too dull, dense, or unrelatable to complete. Other issues stemming from this mentality are a discordant pairing between reading comprehension level and book difficulty, a perceived sense of inadequacy, and a perception that reading should be arduous and unenjoyable.
For those who have a history of reading avidly throughout childhood and adolescence, but find reading increasingly difficult in adulthood, physical, psychological, and emotional state can elicit decline in comprehension, concentration, and motivation. One factor that impacts all three of these states is information burnout at the hands of micro-content (e.g. notifications, alerts, and headlines). Compounding these issues are demographic traits such as education, household income, age and race. All of which require concentrated effort from the reader to be circumvented.
Sources:
Link 1: Ten reasons why people don’t finish reading novels by M. Bijman, July 20, 2018
Key Takeaway: Reading goals and level of engagement are impacted by personality type. Motivation to read is highly individualized.
- Ambitious, Type A people sometimes choose books for their level of difficulty & prestige rather than their style/ genre and so set unrealistic reading goals that they cannot achieve. (e.g. reading dense, long books for their impressiveness vs entertaining books that incite* personal joy)
- Experimental writing style and tone can be jarring and intimidating
- If a reader’s comprehension level is too far below or above the comprehension level of the book, the reader might get discouraged or bored and abandon the book all together.
- “Comfort books”: adults who associate a joy for reading with comfort find it challenging to begin new stories that require a higher level of effort
Link 2: Before the internet broke my attention span I read books compulsively. Now, it takes willpower Josephine Tovey October 2019
Key Takeaway: Adults read often, but digestible/ disposable internet articles have replaced contemporary novels, magazines, and newspapers.
- There is a shared anxiety around choosing books that are literary and stylistically mature. A serious, adult reader reads serious, adult content; this is the internalized belief
- “My friend who rejected the book club clarified it wasn’t so much reading books she was terrible at, but reading the kind of literary fiction serious adults might feel compelled to choose”
- Burnout from reading work emails, news, and social media feeds can make reading feel like a chore vs a hobby
- Consistently reading micro-content like notifications, alerts, and headlines can elicit an attention deficit. Stories/ content like novels require more patience and focus than we are accustomed to giving.
Link 3: 5. I can’t read for pleasure anymore by Jessica Symour May 20, 2021
Key Takeaway: Psychological and emotional state impact comprehension and motivation.
- Immediate distractions, mood, and minor physical impairments (e.g. lack of sleep, hunger, social isolation) can interfere with a reading practice.
- “Heidi Godman, offers three potential reasons that people – at any age – can have difficulty reading: difficulty concentrating, mild cognitive impairment, and physical changes.Mild cognitive impairment, btw, is a noticeable change in thinking and memory skills.”
- Depression, more specifically situational depression in the post COVID world, hinders cognitive function and dampens motivation to pursue leisure activities.
Link 4: Who doesn’t read books in America? By Risa Gelles-Watnick and Andrew Perrin
Key Takeaway: Some demographic traits that link non-book readers are education, household income, age and race. These are systemic and environmental factors that cannot be circumvented without extra effort from the reader.
- Adults with a college education are more likely to read.
- “adults with a high school diploma or less are far more likely than those with a bachelor’s or advanced degree to report not reading books in any format in the past year (39% vs. 11%).”
- Income poses barriers to adults who wish to read
- “adults whose annual household income is less than $30,000 are more likely than those living in households earning $75,000 or more a year to be non-book readers (31% vs. 15%).”
- Adults age 50+ who are used to consuming information via book vs digital platforms/ apps/ devices are statistically more likely to read.
- “Americans ages 50 and older, for example, are more likely than their younger counterparts to be non-book readers.”
Link 5: Over 50% of Americans haven’t read a book in the past year [2022 Study]
July 13, 2022 by Nick Rizzo
Key Takeaway: Reading can be framed as a form of exercise that requires gradual increases in intensity and difficulty. If reading practice slows to a total stop, it is significantly more difficult to return to reading regularly. Reading goals and pain points differ somewhat by generation.
- Completion of a book from start to finish is a growing issue, while initiation remains fairly stable across generations.
- Nearly a third of millennials try to start reading but simply never finish – more than double the 16.67% of Baby Boomers who start but never finish as well.
- Once an adult stops reading for one year, it becomes increasingly difficult to commit to reading again
- 28.76% of adults never finish a book they start reading, but those that finish one book are 29.02x more likely to read at least one more
Link 6: Reading for pleasure: A research overview by Christina Clark and Kate Rumbold. National Literacy Trust. Nov. 2006
A study exploring the importance of reading for pleasure which defines reading attitudes, interest, and motivation in clear terms.
- Children who are motivated to read for pleasure tend to read more frequently, developing stronger vocabulary and learning skills that they carry into adulthood.
- Reading practice is more common if the reader believes deeply that reading is valuable, if they can expand their knowledge of a topic of personal interest through reading, and if they find satisfaction in mastering complicated ideas in text (18)
Survey Outline
Target User Group:
Adults who struggle to finish the books they select and are readers interested in increasing the number of books they complete each year.
Research Questions:
- How/ why do aspiring adult readers choose the book titles they attempt to read?
- What are some common challenges that aspiring adult readers face when attempting to complete a book ?
- What do aspiring readers expect to gain from a regular reading practice?
Survey Design
Title of Survey: Adult Readers: Choices, Challenges, Expectations
Brief Introduction:
Thank you for participating in this survey which aims to understand the reading habits and challenges faced by aspiring adult readers. Your insights will help identify the reasons behind book choices, common obstacles encountered when completing books, and the expectations you have from a regular reading practice.
Contact Information: If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Angelisa Hoover at H****er.A******@gmail.com.
Survey Details: This survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.
Thank you for your time and valuable contributions!
Screener Questions
| Question | Question Type | Answer Options |
| Are you at least 18 years of age ? | Single-Select (Multiple Choice) | YesNo> End Survey |
| Do you believe it would benefit you to read more books each year? | Single-Select (Multiple Choice) | YesNo> End Survey |
| Have you started a book that you did not finish within the last 5 years? | Single-Select (Multiple Choice) | YesNo> End Survey |
Survey Data
Adult Readers: Choices, Challenges, Expectations (Responses)
Survey Analysis
| Research question | Theme | Insights |
| How/ why do aspiring adult readers choose the book titles they attempt to read? | Author Familiarity & Reputation | Insight 1: Readers often select books from authors whose works they are familiar with, indicating a preference for a recognizable, comforting writing style.37 out of 45 participants emphasize the significance of familiarity with an author’s work when selecting books. Insight 2: Positive reviews contribute to a book’s appeal, suggesting that a well-received, critically acclaimed book titles garner more intrigue than lesser known ones.Positive reviews impact book choices for 36 out of 45 participants. |
| Emotional Connection and Coping | Insight 1: Adult readers use books as a coping mechanism. They choose titles that help them escape worries or experience personal growth, reflecting a desire for stories that are emotionally provocative, immersive, and/or insightful.40 out of 45 participants choose books as a means of escape or personal growth. Insight 2: Intriguing plots and challenges within books are considered attractive, indicating a desire for intellectual and emotional stimulation.36 out of 45 participants are attracted to intriguing plots and challenges, emphasizing a desire for intellectual and emotional stimulation. | |
| Secondary research Insights: | Author Familiarity & Reputation: Ambitious, type-A people sometimes choose books for their level of difficulty or prestige rather than their style/ genre and so set unrealistic reading goals that they cannot achieve. (e.g. reading dense, long books for their impressiveness vs entertaining books that incite personal joy)(source)Experimental writing style and tone can be jarring and intimidating (source)“Comfort books”: adults who associate a joy for reading with comfort find it challenging to begin new stories that require a higher level of effort (source)Emotional Connection & CopingReading practice is more common if the reader believes deeply that reading is valuable, if they can expand their knowledge of a topic of personal interest through reading, and if they find satisfaction in mastering complicated ideas in text (source) | |
| What are some common challenges that aspiring adult readers face when attempting to complete a book ? | Time Constraints and Distractions | Insight 1: Most participants reported enjoying a leisurely and/or immersive reading experience. Time constraints imposed by personal & professional responsibilities make it difficult for adults to relax while they read, fully engage with the material, or commit to a story until the very end. Time constraints impact book completion for roughly 35 out of 45 participants. Insight 2: Social media, professional responsibilities, and family/ interpersonal obligations splinter focus for adult readers, making it difficult to build momentum in their reading practice.Distractions are a challenge for 32 out of 45 participants. |
| Loss of Interest and Boredom | Insight 1: Slow-paced plots and unrelatable characters are prominent contributors to loss of interest, emphasizing the importance of engaging storytelling.Slow-paced plots and unrelatable characters contribute to loss of interest for 38 out of 45 participants. Insight 2: Aversion to lengthy or complex books underscores the challenge readers face when encountering materials perceived as too demanding.Aversion to lengthy or complex books as a challenge is noted by 13 out of 45 participants, underlining the difficulty when encountering demanding materials. | |
| Secondary research Insights | Time Constraints and DistractionsBurnout from reading work emails, news, and social media feeds can make reading feel like a chore vs a hobby (source)Consistently reading micro-content like notifications, alerts, and headlines can elicit an attention deficit. Stories/ content like novels require more patience and focus than we are accustomed to giving.(source)Immediate distractions, mood, and minor physical impairments (e.g. lack of sleep, hunger, social isolation) can interfere with a reading practice.“Heidi Godman, offers three potential reasons that people – at any age – can have difficulty reading: difficulty concentrating, mild cognitive impairment, and physical changes.Mild cognitive impairment, btw, is a noticeable change in thinking and memory skills.” (source) | |
| What do aspiring readers expect to gain from a regular reading practice? | Personal and Professional Development | Insight 1: Readers expect a range of personal and practical benefits from their chosen books, including knowledge acquisition, relaxation, vocabulary expansion, and emotional growth.Knowledge acquisition, relaxation, vocabulary expansion, and personal development are expected benefits for 41 out of 45 participants. Insight 2: Books are chosen for their potential to provide practical life skills, indicating chosen texts as educational tools & reading as a preferred learning method.Knowledge acquisition as a motivation for reading is expressed by 29 out of 45 participants, while learning a practical life-skill is noted by 22 out of 45 participants. When asked to share a time when the motivation to read was powerful, one respondent wrote “Poised to take on new roles at work, it was important to me to invest energy in learning new ways to manage both my team and my personal drive for self improvement.” |
| Self-reflection & Peace of Mind | Insight 1: A deeper understanding of self is a desired benefit for many adult readers, indicating an interest in titles that offer insight about the human condition.Better self-understanding is a distinct motivation for 39 out of 45 participants. Insight 2: During emotionally challenging times, readers find solace and escape in books, emphasizing the therapeutic role of reading in managing stress.During emotionally challenging times, readers find solace in books, as noted by 41 out of 45 participants, emphasizing the therapeutic role of reading. | |
Key Findings:
- Motivations and Goals: Many adults aspire to read for leisure, career advancement, and personal enrichment but face significant obstacles.
- Barriers Identified:
- Perceived Sense of Inadequacy: Readers often feel they lack the ability to finish books.
- Mismatch in Reading Levels: A discordant pairing between reading comprehension level and book difficulty leads to frustration.
- Digital Content Burnout: Constant exposure to short-form digital content reduces the attention span required for book reading.
- Perception of Difficulty: Reading is often seen as an arduous task rather than an enjoyable activity.
- Impact of Consistent Reading: Regular reading fosters confidence, improves memory retention, enhances mental agility, nurtures critical thinking skills, and positively impacts overall mental health.
By understanding these barriers, the study provides insights that can guide the creation of tools to help adults maintain a consistent reading habit.
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