Do you ever look back on your childhood and miss the days when you were encouraged to read whatever fun fantastical book you wanted? But did high school English class turn you away from literary fiction and leave a bad taste in your mouth? It almost goes without saying that reading non-fiction books such as self-help books can be helpful for the reader. But what about fiction? We might be tempted to think that in this fast-paced world where we are almost constantly pressured to grow and improve ourselves that reading a fun work of fiction is a waste of time. Today we discuss what the research says about reading fiction and how it can actually help you become a more well-rounded person and take you on an enjoyable adventure. 

References: 

Marshall, R. (2020). Reading fiction: the benefits are numerous. British Journal of General Practice, 70(691), 79-79.

Nilsson, S. K. (2014). The specific benefits of reading fiction. Focus group discussions among young adults. In IGEL International Society for the Empirical Study of Literature and Media. Conference Torino 21-25 July 2014.

Kidd, D. C., & Castano, E. (2013). Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind. Science, 342(6156), 377-380.

Tamir, D. I., Bricker, A. B., Dodell-Feder, D., & Mitchell, J. P. (2016). Reading fiction and reading minds: The role of simulation in the default network. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 11(2), 215-224.