Reading is more than a leisure activity; it’s a complex cognitive exercise that strengthens various mental muscles. While high-profile business leaders like Warren Buffett and Elon Musk have long extolled the virtues of reading for knowledge, the focus has predominantly been on non-fiction.

Yet, a new study reveals that reading fiction may offer unique benefits. It may enhance cognitive abilities, particularly in verbal skills, empathy, and perspective-taking.

The cognitive workout of literary fiction

While fiction has always been appreciated, its role in cognitive development is becoming clearer through systematic research. Lena Wimmer, a postdoctoral researcher at Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, sought to consolidate empirical evidence to assess the real-world cognitive impacts of reading fiction.

Wimmer’s team conducted two meta-analyses. The first focused on the immediate cognitive effects of reading fiction through experiments involving over 11,000 participants. For instance, some of these experiments involved having participants read short stories and then perform a certain task that gauged a certain cognitive parameter. This analysis of over 70 studies highlighted a statistically significant, albeit small, boost in cognitive skills from reading fiction compared to engaging in other activities like watching fiction or simply doing nothing in particular. Notably, positive effects were observed in empathy and theory of mind (the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others or, more simply, the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes).

The second meta-analysis reviewed the correlation between lifelong fiction reading and cognitive abilities across 114 studies and 30,503 individuals. It found a consistent positive relationship between extensive fiction reading and improved cognitive function. Effects were seen in verbal and general cognitive skills, such as problem-solving, reasoning, and abstraction.

The benefits of a narrative

These findings suggest that the act of reading narrative fiction might stimulate the brain in unique ways, providing certain benefits that are not as pronounced with other forms of media consumption. The impact also appears to differ based on the duration and frequency of engagement with fiction.

“Together, these meta-analyses provide robust evidence for a small-sized positive relationship between reading fiction and cognitive benefits,” the authors noted in their study.

Future studies could help delineate the causal impacts of reading fiction on cognition and clarify how individual cognitive differences may interact with reading habits over time.

The findings were reported in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.