ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Health Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1437790
A Study on the Effects of Four Reading Methods on College Students' Cognitive Abilities and Mental Health Based on Positive Psychology: Taking Lao She's Works as an Example
Provisionally accepted
- Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai, China
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BACKGROUND: Rising anxiety and depression among college students demand effective interventions. While reading benefits mental health, the comparative effects of different reading methods (paper, digital, audio, video) remain unclear. METHODS: 2860 students were screened (SAS/SDS) and randomized into paper (PTR), digital (ETR), audio (ALR), video (VIR), or control groups. All groups read Lao She's works with positive psychology themes for 8 weeks. Cognitive (CFQ, BRIEF-A) and mental health (SAS/SDS) outcomes were measured. RESULTS: PTR and ALR most effectively improved cognitive function (reduced CFQ scores) and mental health (lower anxiety/depression). ETR showed modest benefits, while VIR had minimal impact. The control group showed no improvement. CONCLUSION: Paper and audio reading are optimal for enhancing cognition and mental health in students, offering practical guidance for evidence-based interventions.
Keywords: Positive Psychology, Reading methods, college students, Mental Health, Cognitive Function, Anxiety and depression
Received: 16 Oct 2024; Accepted: 28 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yamei Liu, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai, China
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