Not many kids in school want to read anymore, this is mainly because the things they are being made to read in school are not of topics they care about or they just aren’t interested in the genre. Most kids until they reach the age of 17 aren’t interested in nonfiction and similar genres. They mainly read fiction works. If kids were allowed to read more books in the genre they are interested in educators would most likely see an increase in children reading and an increase in the children’s grades and social abilities.
Unfortunately just being exposed to people doesn’t automatically help you understand them, and the ability to understand others is not something we are taught in school. A recent study conducted by Dr. Keith Oatly has shown that children who read more fiction are better able to infer what other people are thinking and feeling (Rassmussen, 2018, p.1). In Oatlys’ (2018) study participants were asked to determine the emotion of an individual by simply looking at a photograph of that person’s eyes. The test was created to measure an individual’s level of empathy. The results were that people who regularly read fiction had better results, thus further solidifying the claim that they have more empathy (Why Reading is, 2018, p.2).
Raymond Mar a Canadian psychologist from York University further confirmed this claim. He gave both fiction and nonfiction readers a range of social reasoning exams. He found that fiction readers show greater empathy towards others than those who read nonfiction (Why Reading is, 2018, p.3). Mar (2018) and his colleagues have also observed that people who were exposed to children’s books more at a young age performed better in tasks that evaluated how good they are at understanding others (Rasmussen, 2018, p.2). Some psychologists have described fiction as a simulation of social worlds, reading literary fiction can improve social skills by increasing understanding and empathy for others in the reader. Dr. Oatlys’ group (2016) found through the use of the “Mind of the Eyes Test” that even after taking into account for inter-person differences, people who regularly read fiction are more empathetic and understanding than those who read more nonfiction or don’t read at all (Shukla. 2016, p.2).
“ When we read about other people we can imagine ourselves into their position and we can imagine what it’s like being that person. This enables us to better understand people and better cooperate with them” says Oatly (2016) (Kaplan, 2016, p.1). When participants of Oatlys’ study (2016) took the author recognition test, it was found that the ones who knew the most fiction writers scored higher on the measurements of social acumen. “People who read more fiction were found to be better at empathy and understanding others,” says Oatly (Kaplan, 2016, p.2). Reading fiction can have many benefits for readers, this includes improving empathy and therefore making a person more likely to suspend judgment of different values and participate in compassionate behavior (Rosa, 2017, p.1).
How Reading Fiction Improves Learning
Scientists have reported a strong correlation between reading skills, better vocabulary, general knowledge, and other verbal abilities and reading fiction works regularly. Studies have also suggested that children who read at an early age become more successful students later in life (Shukla, 2016, p.2). A study in the American Psychological Association’s journal (2016) Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts has declared that the process of imagining scenes while reading leads to an increase in empathy and prosocial behavior (Kaplan, 2016, p.2).
How Reading Fiction Improves Theory of Mind
Theory of Mind is the human capacity to comprehend that other people hold beliefs and desires and that these may differ from one’s own beliefs and desires (Kidd, 2013, p.1). Literary fiction has been reported to enhance a skill known as Theory of Mind. This is the ability to imagine what might be going on in someone else’s head. It is believed to cause this because literary fiction tends to focus more on characters interior lives than nonfiction. This means that readers have to get inside the heads of the characters which is what psychologists believe leads to the psychological effect (Kaplan, 2016, p.2).
How Reading Fiction Improves Mental Health
Reading fiction not only helps broaden a readers’ mind but also is good for the readers’ mental health (Shukla, 2016, p.1). A 2009 study by the University of Sussex revealed that by reading fiction for just six minutes a day you can reduce your stress levels by up to sixty-eight percent (Rosa, 2017, p.2). It is believed that fiction lets your brain turn off, relax, and get entertained. This helps to discourage burnout. Burnout is caused by stuffing every second of your day with something for your brain to think about, this can happen more when thinking becomes a chore rather than fun. Because fiction helps your brain to unplug and unwind, it is in this state that your subconscious will take over and help to solve problems that you couldn’t solve with your full focus (Chou, 2018, p.2).
