Reading novels develops intelligence, studies show

Hardworking novel readers have a small intellectual advantage compared to non-readers, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology review.

Novel literature has long been considered primarily as pastime. However, the two separate meta-analyses of the article tell about the significant benefits of reading.

The first part summarizes the results of 70 experimental studies in which a randomized study group was assigned to read novels.

The control group was made to read non-fiction, watch fictional movies, or do none of these. There were a total of 11,000 subjects.

Result was that reading novels had a small but statistically significant positive effect on intellectual abilities, particularly empathy and theory of mind.

So it improved the ability to look at things from another person’s point of view.

In the second meta-analysis, the connection of lifelong reading hobby with thinking skills was examined. The analysis included 114 studies involving a total of 30,000 people.

It turned out that readers are stronger than others especially in linguistic skills and general intellectual abilities such as reasoning, abstract thinking and problem solving.

Novel readers fared better than non-fiction readers in these skills as well.

A review the second part does not tell about the causal connection. Novels did not necessarily make their readers intelligent, but linguistically capable and intelligent people perhaps read more.

Longitudinal research is needed to confirm the causal connection, says the researcher Lena Wimmer from the German Julius Maximilian University in Psypost magazine.