Investigating the impact of audiobooks on children’s development

Applications are invited for a fully-funded three year PhD to commence in October 2027.

The PhD will be based in the Faculty of Science and Health within the School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences, and will be supervised by Dr Nina Attridge and Dr Iris Nomikou. 

Candidates applying for this project may be eligible to compete for one of a small number of bursaries available. Successful applicants will receive a bursary to cover tuition fees for three years and a stipend in line with the UKRI rate (£21,805 for 2026/27). Bursary recipients will also receive a £1,500 for consumables, conference, project or training costs.

Costs for student visa and immigration health surcharge are not covered by this bursary. For further guidance and advice visit our international and EU students ‘Visa FAQs’ page.

This funded PhD is only open to new students who do not hold a previous doctoral level qualification.

Audio books and stories are an increasingly accessible form of screen-free entertainment for young children (Arif, Clark & Picton, 2026). Audiobooks allow children to access complex narratives and vocabulary without requiring them to decode written text. This may be particularly valuable during the early years of primary education, when children's reading abilities are still developing, but audiobooks may also provide an additional source of language exposure, cognitive stimulation and relaxation for fluent readers.

There is substantial evidence that children's engagement with books and stories supports language development (see Dickinson et al, 2012, for a review), but much of this research concerns adult-mediated reading or shared reading, rather than children's independent listening to audiobooks. Currently, it is unclear whether audiobook listening provides measurable developmental benefits. This PhD will:

1. Examine how audiobooks fit into children’s free time alongside other activities, and what parents/guardians see as the benefits, drawbacks and barriers to use. 
2. Examine correlates of recreational audiobook use, such as vocabulary, focused attention, formal educational outcomes and wellbeing.
3. Test whether a 12-week audiobook intervention improves children’s outcomes relative to reading physical books or watching equivalent video-based stories.

The project will involve building links with schools, conducting qualitative and quantitative research with parents/guardians and children, presenting work at conferences, publishing the research in peer-reviewed journals, and disseminating findings to teachers and parents. The findings of this project have the potential to benefit children, families and schools.
 

How to apply

If you have any project-specific questions please contact Dr Nina Attridge ([email protected]), quoting the project code.

When you are ready to apply, please use our online application form. Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees, proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV. Our ‘How to Apply’ page offers further guidance on the PhD application process.

If you want to be considered for this funded PhD opportunity you must quote project code PSH50960127 when applying. Please note that email applications are not accepted.