Listening to Books: A Study on the Value System of Audiobook Users

With the advancement of digital technology, the ways in which books are consumed have diversified. In particular, audiobooks have emerged as a significant medium for reading, alongside print books and e-books. With these backgrounds, this study aims to provide a fundamental understanding of &quotwhy do consumers use audiobooks?&quot. Specifically, the study seeks to delineate the purposes of audiobook use and to elicit the hierarchical goal structure. Based on the means-end chain approach, the results identified 7 usage attributes and 15 user goals. The findings revealed that convenience and time efficiency, originating from attributes such as physical freedom and substitutability, are the core user goals, ultimately connecting to the value of self-improvement. Additionally, audiobook users indicated enjoyment and sleep aid as their final goals. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of audiobook users’ goal structure, including the overarching purpose of self-improvement and the associated derived values. Furthermore, these findings are expected to provide a critical foundation for the acceptance and innovation of related platforms in the digital era, wherein audiobooks reshape the discourse on reading.