Reading Novels
Research is showing that reading for pleasure has many benefits. This is described in an editorial in the Cambridge University journal of Psychological Medicine.
Benefits of reading discussed in the editorial include the following:
- reducing the risk of mental health disorders
- building resilience and mitigating the effects of stress
- improved well-being
- possible benefits in mathematical learning
Quotes:
..A growing body of research suggests that skills central to reading, such as phonological awareness, procedural memory, and executive functions, also play an important role in mathematical learning.
..Longitudinal evidence further underscores the association: in a study of 554 children with an average age of 6.5 years at baseline, followed over 12 years, average and high levels of reading performance were associated with subsequent gains in mathematical growth.
..Among younger adults aged 18–34, reading was shown to play a particularly important role in reducing loneliness: 59% said reading made them feel more connected to others, 56% felt less alone during the pandemic, and 44% expressed a wish that they had someone to read with.
..Those who read for pleasure early experienced fewer mental health problems, reduced inattention, and better behavior in adolescence, alongside lower levels of stress and depression and improved social interactions.
..A body of longitudinal evidence indicates that cognitively stimulating leisure activities, particularly reading, are associated with slower cognitive decline and a reduced risk of dementia in older adults.
..individuals who reported reading fiction more frequently demonstrated better social cognitive performance.
..engaging with books is associated with enhanced well-being, reduced stress, and greater empathy, likely through its stimulation of emotional and social-cognitive processes.