A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that avid readers have a small intellectual advantage compared to non-readers. Researcher Lena Wimmer from the German Julius Maximilian University emphasized the importance of longitudinal research to confirm any causal connections between reading and cognitive abilities.
The first meta-analysis summarized the results of 70 experimental studies, where a randomized study group read novels while the control group read non-fiction or did other activities. The results indicated a positive effect on intellectual abilities, particularly in empathy and theory of mind.
In the second meta-analysis, lifelong reading habits were examined as a predictor of thinking skills. This analysis included 114 studies with 30,000 participants and found that readers were stronger in linguistic skills and general intellectual abilities such as reasoning, abstract thinking, and problem-solving. Readers of novels performed better than non-fiction readers in these skills as well. However, the study did not establish a causal connection between reading novels and intelligence, suggesting that more research is needed to confirm this link.
