The Benefits of Reading Fiction

This past week, on my way to Seattle, I listened to NPR as is my normal thing to do, and was delighted to hear that I’m not the only one actively avoiding listening to or reading the depressing news. Normally, I incessantly scroll through the news for any positive sign that things won’t go terribly wrong in November, but I haven’t done that this whole week. Sometimes, during my weekly scroll, I’ll come across an article that has nothing to do with the election, and I’ll have my topic for the week. Fortunately, the story on NPR interviewed a couple of librarians and a queer bookstore owner about their recommendations on fiction summer reads to escape from the news.

Y’all should know by now that I enjoy researching everything. That got to thinking about whether there have been any research studies on the actual benefits of reading. Not just any kind of reading but fiction. Do we reap the benefits of escaping into a good book? We most certainly do! Here is what I learned:

In 2013, University of Toronto researchers looked into the need for cognitive closure, or the desire to “reach a quick conclusion in decision-making and an aversion to ambiguity and confusion.” People with a strong need for cognitive closure rely heavily on “early information cues,” in other words, they struggle to change their minds as new information becomes available. This results in fewer individual assessments of the world around them, which makes them more confident in their own initial (and potentially flawed) beliefs. Those with a high need for cognitive closure gravitate toward smaller bits of information and fewer viewpoints. Alternately, people who resist the need for cognitive closure tend to be more thoughtful, more creative, and more comfortable with competing narratives—all characteristics of high EQ. So what does this have to do with reading? I’m getting there. These researchers found that reading short stories, not intellectual essays, reduced the reader’s need for cognitive closure and subsequently allowed them to be more open to a variety of perspectives.
In 2016 a study in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience suggested that reading fiction improves a person’s social-cognitive abilities. reading may improve one’s ability to empathize with and understand the thoughts and feelings of other people. Fiction readers scored higher on measures of empathy and something called theory of mind (ToM). ToM is the ability to think about others’ thoughts and feelings. And guess what? The romance genre was specifically boosted ToM. How about that!
In a 2009 study at the University of Sussex, researchers discovered that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. Not only that, but the study revealed that reading was superior to other forms of stress reduction, including, various relaxation methods, listening to music, or drinking a hot cup of tea. The theory behind this is that our minds are invited into a literary world free from everyday stressors.
A summary of research published in 2018 in the Journal Experimental Psychology looked at 14 different studies on how reading fiction affects social skills compared to reading nonfiction or not reading at all. Basically the studies showed reading fiction improves personal relationships by enhancing social skills, increasing capacity for compassion and empathy, and enhancing a person’s ability to guess how people react in different situations. So…all you introverts out there can take great comfort in the fact that your go-to method of relaxation may actually be a huge benefit to developing social skills and improving your relationships! As an introvert, I loved learning that! Next time I’m reading a good book to the point of total immersion, I’ll remind my spouse of its benefits.

So…in summary, step away from the depressing news cycle and pick up a good book! Of course, as always I have several to recommend. You know the drill. Click the links below to any number of my books. I promise. They will have a positive effect on you!

Just released on KU: action-packed dystopian romance, The Others!