Reading enhances social skills
Some people view books as a way to escape the real world and the people in it, but research has shown that when it comes to social skills, reading may have its uses.
A 2013 study published in the journal Science for example, found that individuals who read fiction may have better “theory of mind” – that is, the ability to understand that people’s beliefs, desires, and thoughts are different to their own.
Further cementing the link between reading and improved social skills, a study reported by MNT found that individuals who read fiction scored much higher on tests of empathy than those who read nonfiction.
Study author Keith Oatley, of the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the University of Toronto, Canada, suggests that fiction allows the reader to engage with the characters, which may lead to increased empathy with others in reality.
“The most important characteristic of being human is that our lives are social,” says Oatley. “What’s distinctive about humans is that we make social arrangements with other people – with friends, with lovers, with children – that aren’t pre-programmed by instinct. Fiction can augment and help us understand our social experience.”
Sources:
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1239918
https://www.yorku.ca/mar/Mar%20et%20al%202009_reading%20fiction%20and%20empathy.pdf
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