Boost Empathy with Books
In the cold, dark days of winter, the thought of spending an evening curled up with a good book and hot tea is enticing.
At minimum, you have an evening of free entertainment. Perhaps more surprisingly, reading fiction can also improve your social skills, suggests new research from the University of Toronto and published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
According to lead researcher and psychologist Keith Oatley, reading fiction simulates a social reality, prompting understanding and empathy in the reader.
To test this, Oatley and his team conducted a “Mind of the Eyes Test” in which adult participants viewed 36 photographs of people’s eyes. For each photo, participants were asked to choose one of four terms to describe the emotion behind each set of eyes—reflective, aghast, irritated, or impatient.
Participants who read novels before completing the test scored significantly higher at identifying the accurate emotions than their peers who read nonfiction books. This indicated a higher level of empathy in fiction readers.
Similar empathy-boosting effects can be found in television dramas and video games with a storyline, said Oatley. He believes any form of fiction in which you engage with characters you can think about can enhance and help you understand your social experience.
“What’s a piece of fiction, what’s a novel, what’s a short story, what’s a play or movie or television series? It’s a piece of consciousness being passed from mind to mind,” Oatley explained. “When you’re reading or watching a drama, you’re taking in a piece of consciousness that you make your own. That seems an exciting idea.”
Understanding and empathizing with others goes beyond improving social skills. It can also help you more fully live a life of purpose and passion.
This is illustrated in my novel Breakfast Tea & Bourbon, as the reader follows a group of friends on the hunt for a $50,000 hidden treasure. In their quest, the friends discover an even greater treasure—the ability we all have to make a difference in the lives of others.
Plus, who knows… understanding and empathizing with the characters in Breakfast Tea & Bourbon might give you an advantage solving clues in the novel that lead you to an actual treasure hidden somewhere in the United States worth $50,000!
Learn more about this brand new “road-tripper’s guide to the universe” here: Breakfast Tea & Bourbon
At minimum, you have an evening of free entertainment. Perhaps more surprisingly, reading fiction can also improve your social skills, suggests new research from the University of Toronto and published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
According to lead researcher and psychologist Keith Oatley, reading fiction simulates a social reality, prompting understanding and empathy in the reader.
To test this, Oatley and his team conducted a “Mind of the Eyes Test” in which adult participants viewed 36 photographs of people’s eyes. For each photo, participants were asked to choose one of four terms to describe the emotion behind each set of eyes—reflective, aghast, irritated, or impatient.
Participants who read novels before completing the test scored significantly higher at identifying the accurate emotions than their peers who read nonfiction books. This indicated a higher level of empathy in fiction readers.
Similar empathy-boosting effects can be found in television dramas and video games with a storyline, said Oatley. He believes any form of fiction in which you engage with characters you can think about can enhance and help you understand your social experience.
“What’s a piece of fiction, what’s a novel, what’s a short story, what’s a play or movie or television series? It’s a piece of consciousness being passed from mind to mind,” Oatley explained. “When you’re reading or watching a drama, you’re taking in a piece of consciousness that you make your own. That seems an exciting idea.”
Understanding and empathizing with others goes beyond improving social skills. It can also help you more fully live a life of purpose and passion.
This is illustrated in my novel Breakfast Tea & Bourbon, as the reader follows a group of friends on the hunt for a $50,000 hidden treasure. In their quest, the friends discover an even greater treasure—the ability we all have to make a difference in the lives of others.
Plus, who knows… understanding and empathizing with the characters in Breakfast Tea & Bourbon might give you an advantage solving clues in the novel that lead you to an actual treasure hidden somewhere in the United States worth $50,000!
Learn more about this brand new “road-tripper’s guide to the universe” here: Breakfast Tea & Bourbon
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