Can reading narrative fiction help us understand others?

What is it about?

It has been argued that reading narrative fiction can be beneficial for our understanding of other people’s thoughts, intentions and emotions. That is, by reading about characters in books, who experience emotions and show behaviour that might differ from our own, we can improve or refine our own understanding of others. We tested this theory in a longitudinal study following young people’s reading behaviour and social understanding over time from 12 to 16 years. Our findings suggest that, rather than direct benefits, reading supports the acquisition of language that helps us express more complex thoughts and emotions, and that reading-supported language may therefore be the main driver of why fiction reading benefits our social understanding.

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Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Understanding if and how reading can help develop young people’s social understanding can provide important tools for developing cost effective intervention. Especially for those who may struggle with the complexities of understanding and acting upon other people’s intentions and behaviours in later childhood and adulthood. In order to do this, we need to understand the underlying mechanisms of how we learn from fiction, what type of reading is important and how much reading is needed. Studying changes over time is crucial, as it provides insight into longer term effects, as well as the direction of associations.