How Books Benefit Your Mind and Body
by Lisa Collier Cool
Good news for book worms: curling up with a
novel is not only a great way to relax—research suggests reading can improve social
perception, empathy, creativity, and even math skills, among a host of other
benefits.
Touted as a way to improve “mind-reading” ability, a recent study from the New School for Social Research found that reading literary fiction may enhance people’s understanding of the mental states of others.
The researchers ran a series of 5 experiments in which they asked participants to read either literary fiction, popular fiction, or nonfiction. After reading, participants took tests that measured social skills, such as the ability to guess other people’s feelings based on body language. For example, in one test, participants looked at pictures of actors’ eyes and tried to determine the emotion conveyed. Across all 5 experiments, people in the literary fiction group performed better on the tests, suggesting that literature buffs may have an edge when it comes to social perception.
Curious if your own literary tastes have made you a social guru? The New York Times offers a free test to see if you read emotions as easily as you read books.
The researchers assessed participants’ level of empathy before and after they were assigned to read fiction or non-fiction texts. In both studies, only the fiction readers who became emotionally invested in the story showed an increase in empathy. And empathy is well-worth cultivating, since it may be linked to improved longevity.
Reading for pleasure may be even more important for children, suggests a study from the Institute of Education of London (IOE) in the U.K. Using data from over 6,000 children involved in the 1970 British Cohort Study, researchers determined that kids ages 10 to 16 who read for enjoyment perform better in vocabulary, spelling, and even math, compared to youngsters who rarely read.
“It may seem surprising that reading for pleasure would help to improve children's maths scores,” Alice Sullivan, PhD, co-author of the study, said in a statement. “But it is likely that strong reading ability will enable children to absorb and understand new information and affect their attainment in all subjects.”
Touted as a way to improve “mind-reading” ability, a recent study from the New School for Social Research found that reading literary fiction may enhance people’s understanding of the mental states of others.
The researchers ran a series of 5 experiments in which they asked participants to read either literary fiction, popular fiction, or nonfiction. After reading, participants took tests that measured social skills, such as the ability to guess other people’s feelings based on body language. For example, in one test, participants looked at pictures of actors’ eyes and tried to determine the emotion conveyed. Across all 5 experiments, people in the literary fiction group performed better on the tests, suggesting that literature buffs may have an edge when it comes to social perception.
Curious if your own literary tastes have made you a social guru? The New York Times offers a free test to see if you read emotions as easily as you read books.
Reading boosts empathy and math skills
Don’t feel left out if you prefer fast-paces dramas over high literature—two recent studies published in PLOS ONE found that readers who are “emotionally transported” into a story are more likely to experience a boost in empathy, which could last for up to a week.The researchers assessed participants’ level of empathy before and after they were assigned to read fiction or non-fiction texts. In both studies, only the fiction readers who became emotionally invested in the story showed an increase in empathy. And empathy is well-worth cultivating, since it may be linked to improved longevity.
Reading for pleasure may be even more important for children, suggests a study from the Institute of Education of London (IOE) in the U.K. Using data from over 6,000 children involved in the 1970 British Cohort Study, researchers determined that kids ages 10 to 16 who read for enjoyment perform better in vocabulary, spelling, and even math, compared to youngsters who rarely read.
“It may seem surprising that reading for pleasure would help to improve children's maths scores,” Alice Sullivan, PhD, co-author of the study, said in a statement. “But it is likely that strong reading ability will enable children to absorb and understand new information and affect their attainment in all subjects.”
Books may bolster emotional and physical health
In addition to strengthening social savvy and math prowess, reading might also help to:- Enhance growth and healing in kids. Children’s stories can be used as a form of “bibliotherapy” to help kids cope with serious challenges, suggest researchers from Brigham Young University. For example, the American Cancer Society recommends Jennifer May Allen’s I Can Survive for kids with cancer, while Laura Hamilton’s recent release Lions Get Sick Too may offer comfort to children facing any type of major illness. Pictures books are also available to help kids cope with bullying, a parent’s illness, or the loss of a loved one.
- Slash your stress. Reading is one of the
best ways to relax. In fact, in a
study conducted by researchers at the University of Sussex, it trumped other
calming activities such as going for a walk or sipping tea. After just six
minutes of reading, participants’ heart rates and muscle tension dropped to
relaxed levels.
- Open-mindedness and creativity. Recent research from the University of Toronto suggests that fiction may help readers to be more open-minded and comfortable with uncertainty. Moreover, the researchers noted that avid readers are better at thinking creatively and are less likely to make snap judgements.
- Keep your mind sharp. Like other mentally engaging past-times, reading could help to slow memory loss as you age. Compared to those who take part in fewer brain workouts, people who frequently participate in cognitively stimulating activities may experience slower mental decline as they get older, report investigators in an online issue of the journal Neorology. Similarly, another study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found links between reading and other mentally stimulating hobbies and lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
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