How Reading Fiction Affects Your Brain

Summary

This video script explores the cognitive and emotional benefits of reading fiction, debunking the myth that it's less beneficial than non-fiction. It highlights how fiction enhances language processing and vocabulary, stimulates different brain areas during storytelling, and improves social cognition and empathy. The script also discusses the role of fiction in stress reduction and personal growth, advocating for the value of both fiction and non-fiction in enriching our minds.

Takeaways

• 📚 Reading fiction has neurological and psychological benefits, contrary to the belief that it's less beneficial than non-fiction.
• 📈 Fiction reading can enhance language processing and vocabulary more than non-fiction, due to the wider range of words used in storytelling.
• 🧠 Different types of reading activate various parts of the brain, with fiction stimulating areas related to the content of the story.
• 👥 Fiction reading improves social cognitive performance, potentially increasing empathy and understanding of others' perspectives.
• 💖 Research consistently shows that fiction can boost empathy, helping readers to connect with characters and situations on a deeper level.
• 🎨 Like other forms of art, fiction can have a profound impact on an individual's personality and emotional experiences.
• 📉 Reading, including fiction, has been found to reduce stress more effectively and quickly than other common relaxation methods.
• ⏱️ The stress-reducing effects of reading can be felt within just six minutes of starting a story.
• 🤔 The video emphasizes that both fiction and non-fiction have unique benefits, and the choice between them should be based on personal preference and interest.
• 🧐 The speaker shares a personal experience of how a Stephen King novel helped process grief, illustrating the power of fiction in emotional healing.
• 🌐 The video encourages viewers to explore the benefits of both fiction and non-fiction, suggesting that a balanced reading habit can be enriching.

Q & A

What is the main argument of the video regarding fiction reading?

The main argument of the video is that fiction reading has significant neurological, psychological, and social benefits, and it is as beneficial to the mind as non-fiction reading.

How does reading fiction affect language processing and vocabulary according to the video?

Reading fiction affects language processing and vocabulary positively, with studies showing that fiction readers have a larger vocabulary than non-fiction readers due to the wider range of words used in fiction.

What is the neurological difference when reading a story versus reading informational text?

When reading a story, not only does the language processing part of the brain light up, but also the parts of the brain associated with the experiences described in the story, whereas informational text mainly activates the language processing area.

What social benefits does the video claim are associated with reading fiction?

The video claims that reading fiction has social benefits such as improved social cognitive performance, increased empathy, and the ability to better understand others' perspectives.

How does reading fiction impact a person's empathy according to the research mentioned in the video?

Research mentioned in the video indicates that reading fiction increases empathy by allowing readers to put themselves in someone else's shoes and understand different perspectives, reducing prejudice and promoting kindness.

What is the role of art, according to the video, in shaping one's personality traits?

According to the video, art, including literature, can cause significant changes in one's experiences and personality traits, affecting individuals on a deep emotional level.

How effective is reading at reducing stress, as discussed in the video?

Reading is discussed as an effective stress reducer, with research showing that it reduces stress more quickly than other common methods, such as walking or listening to music.

What does the video suggest about the comparison between fiction and non-fiction reading?

The video suggests that both fiction and non-fiction reading are beneficial, and it does not argue that one is better than the other. It emphasizes the unique benefits of fiction reading that are often overlooked.

How does the video presenter use personal experience to illustrate the benefits of reading fiction?

The presenter shares a personal experience of processing grief through reading both non-fiction and Stephen King's 'Pet Sematary,' highlighting how fiction can help in understanding and coping with emotions.

What is the presenter's view on the importance of enjoying the reading process itself, regardless of the genre?

The presenter believes that the act of reading and enjoying it, whether fiction or non-fiction, has psychological and neurological benefits, emphasizing the importance of engaging in hobbies that rest the mind and body.

What additional resources does the video offer to viewers interested in the research discussed?

The video offers additional resources such as links to the research studies discussed, which are provided in the video description for viewers to explore further.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Neurological Benefits of Fiction Reading

This paragraph discusses the often overlooked benefits of reading fiction on the brain. It challenges the notion that fiction is less beneficial than non-fiction by citing studies that show fiction reading enhances language processing and vocabulary more than non-fiction. The speaker emphasizes the neurological effects of reading, such as how different parts of the brain light up when engaging with a story versus reading purely informational content. The paragraph also introduces the theme of the video, which is to explore the specific advantages fiction offers to the mind, including social and emotional benefits.

05:01

🌐 Empathy and Social Cognition Through Fiction

The second paragraph delves into the social benefits of reading fiction, particularly its impact on empathy and social cognition. It references multiple studies that demonstrate how fiction readers tend to outperform non-fiction readers in social cognitive tasks. The speaker explains that reading fiction can increase our ability to empathize with others, understand different perspectives, and reduce subconscious prejudice. The paragraph also touches on the transformative power of art in general, including music and literature, and how it can deeply affect our personalities and emotional experiences.

10:02

😌 Stress Relief and Personal Growth Through Fiction

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the role of fiction in stress reduction and personal growth. Research is cited to show that reading, especially fiction, can reduce stress more effectively and quickly than common relaxation methods. The speaker shares a personal experience of how a Stephen King novel helped them process grief, illustrating the profound emotional impact that fiction can have. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the importance of enjoying both fiction and non-fiction for their respective benefits, and the value of using literature to navigate personal challenges.

Keywords

💡Fiction

Fiction refers to a literary genre that narrates imaginative and often invented stories rather than presenting factual information. In the video, the speaker discusses the benefits of reading fiction, countering the notion that it is less valuable than non-fiction. The script mentions how fiction can increase vocabulary and language processing, as well as provide social and emotional benefits.

💡Non-fiction

Non-fiction is a genre of literature that presents factual information and real events. The video script contrasts non-fiction with fiction, exploring their respective benefits. While non-fiction is often seen as more educational, the speaker argues that fiction also offers significant cognitive and emotional advantages.

💡Neurological benefits

The neurological benefits refer to the positive effects that certain activities, such as reading, have on the brain's structure and function. The script highlights how reading fiction can stimulate different parts of the brain, enhancing language processing and empathy, which are considered neurological benefits.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary pertains to the range of words that a person knows and can use effectively. The video emphasizes that reading fiction can increase one's vocabulary more than non-fiction, as it often employs a wider range of words to describe various scenarios and emotions.

💡Language processing

Language processing is the cognitive ability to understand and interpret language. The script explains that reading fiction can enhance language processing, as the brain engages with the diverse vocabulary and sentence structures used in storytelling.

💡Social cognitive performance

Social cognitive performance refers to an individual's ability to understand and interact with others in a social context. The video script cites studies showing that reading fiction can improve social cognitive performance, suggesting that it can foster empathy and understanding of others' perspectives.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the capacity to understand and share the feelings of others. The script discusses how reading fiction can increase empathy by allowing readers to experience stories from different perspectives, thus enhancing their ability to relate to a variety of emotional situations.

💡Stress reduction

Stress reduction involves techniques or activities that help lower stress levels. The video mentions that reading, particularly fiction, can be an effective method for stress reduction, with research suggesting that it can begin to alleviate stress within just six minutes.

💡Personality traits

Personality traits are the distinguishing characteristics that make up an individual's personality. The script suggests that engaging with art, including literature, can cause significant changes in one's personality traits, shaping who they are and who they become.

💡Grief

Grief is the deep emotional response to loss, particularly bereavement. The speaker in the video shares a personal experience of using both fiction and non-fiction to process grief after the death of a grandparent, highlighting how fiction, in particular, can offer a unique perspective on coping with loss.

Highlights

Reading fiction can increase vocabulary more effectively than nonfiction, due to the wide range of descriptive language used in fiction.

Reading fiction activates multiple parts of the brain, including those associated with physical experiences described in the story, unlike nonfiction which mainly activates language processing areas.

Fiction reading has been shown to improve social cognitive performance and empathy, helping readers better understand and relate to others.

Studies suggest that fiction readers outperform nonfiction readers on social cognitive tasks, highlighting the unique benefits of engaging with fictional narratives.

Art, including books, can significantly influence a person's personality and emotional state, similar to how music and visual arts impact us.

Fiction reading is more effective at reducing stress compared to common methods like walking, listening to music, or drinking tea.

While both fiction and nonfiction provide educational benefits, fiction is often undervalued despite its significant contribution to cognitive and emotional development.

Fiction can serve as a powerful tool for processing complex emotions and experiences, as seen in the author's personal experience with grief through reading 'Pet Cemetery' by Stephen King.

The video emphasizes that the debate over whether fiction or nonfiction is 'better' is irrelevant; both have unique and valuable benefits.

Engaging in any activity that one enjoys, whether it's reading fiction, playing video games, or other hobbies, provides psychological and neurological benefits.

Reading, whether fiction or nonfiction, has neurological benefits that can improve language processing and cognitive function.

Fiction helps readers develop a deeper understanding of complex emotions and situations by immersing them in diverse perspectives.

The video argues for the validation of fiction as a valuable reading choice, especially for those who may feel it’s not as beneficial as nonfiction.

Research consistently shows that fiction enhances empathy, making readers more compassionate and less prone to subconscious prejudice.

The author concludes by emphasizing that enjoying a hobby, including reading fiction, has intrinsic value for mental well-being.

Transcripts

oh is that your reading there oh

fiction

what's that

yeah i don't really read fiction if i'm

going to take the time to read i want to

really learn something something that'll

benefit my mind

do i know you entertainment

has this ever happened to you

well

me too i did a previous video where i

talked about how reading affects the

brain some of the studies that have

actually dug deep into

the neurological and psychological

benefits of reading books i really

really loved that video if you haven't

watched it if you haven't watched it yet

i'll link it here if i remember and

definitely in the description so you can

check it out this video is going to

piggyback off of that one and this one

is a specific emphasis on how

fiction reading affects the brain it is

funny to me that a lot of people

discount reading as a whole but then you

also have a lot of people who will

discount fiction specifically nonfiction

is beneficial fiction is not so

i fell down a rabbit hole i did a whole

bunch of research i read a bunch of

studies to learn if fiction is really

truly as beneficial to the mind as

non-fiction is and the answer is yes and

in fact there are some ways that fiction

benefits the brain and our social and

emotional benefits even more this isn't

a video of me arguing that fiction is

better than non-fiction frankly i don't

care which one's better this is just me

talking about the merits of fiction in

case you need a little bit of validation

in your life i'm gonna be citing a lot

of studies throughout this video and

just like in the last video which again

i recommend you watch if you haven't yet

it'll all be linked all the resources

will be linked in the description for

you to look into further but i'll also

have some of the things oh this is i'll

also have some of the things on the

screen for you to see as i'm citing them

the first way that reading fiction

specifically affects our brain in a

really positive way is language

processing and vocabulary now both of

these things were covered in the last

video because both of these things are

benefited through both non-fiction and

fiction reading however this study that

had more than a quarter of a million

respondents showed a very clear line

between fiction and non-fiction readers

it showed that reading fiction actually

increases vocabulary more than

non-fiction which kind of makes sense if

you think about it because fiction is

going to use a much wider range of words

to describe landscapes and to describe

emotions and describe a lot of things

that you're trying that that the author

is trying to have you experience with

the reader then a non-fiction would

which is purely informational it also

shows that the amount you read actually

makes a significant

difference readers who claim to read

somewhat versus readers who claim to

read a lot and they and they studied

readers on on a lot of different scales

of how much they read and it showed that

how much they bumped up the amount of

time dedicated to reading showed a

significant change in this category i

believe i talked in the last video about

how reading lights up language

processing in the brain but what's

really interesting is the different

types of reading and how that lights up

different parts of the brain so for

instance i could put a word on the

screen and you may be able to instantly

smell that word which i think we've all

experienced and i think it's really

interesting but what's also interesting

is that when we're getting information a

certain part of our brain the language

processing part of our brain lights up

but that's the only part that lights up

whereas if we're hearing or reading a

story then not only does the language

processing part of our brain light up

but also whatever part of the brain

whatever

whatever the story is saying that part

of the brain will light up too let me

explain there's a study that

specifically talked about running so if

you read information about running about

the benefits it gives you about what's

happening to the body just bullet points

informational about running the language

processing part of your brain is working

but if you read a story about someone

running then the part of your brain that

lights up when you are physically

running also lights up when you're

reading about a person running that's so

fascinating to me obviously i'm gonna

get a lot more health benefits out of

physically running than reading about a

person physically running but as far as

the neurological benefits our brains

light up the same whether we're running

or reading a story about a person

running which leads me into the next

thing that i want to talk about about

how fiction benefits the brain there are

many studies out there and i'll put

several on the screen here that talk

specifically about the social benefits

of reading fiction specifically compared

to not reading anything at all or

compared to reading non-fiction fiction

has a small yet statistically

significant increase in social cognitive

performance another study that showed

that fiction readers outperform

non-fiction readers on social cognitive

tasks and another study that shows that

fiction reading outperforms nonfiction

reading for benefiting social cognitive

measures what does that mean well it

means a lot of things but a lot of it

boils down to

empathy again there are a lot of studies

on this but time and time again research

has shown that reading increases empathy

in people increases our ability to put

ourselves in someone else's shoes to not

be so narrow-minded and to be able to

actually see the world from another

person's eyes or at least empathize with

their position in life this can help us

to be more compassionate more

understanding to reduce subconscious

prejudice to be a more kind person in

general i love this quote one glance

inside a book and you're inside the mind

of another person maybe someone dead for

thousands of years across the millennia

an author is speaking clearly and

silently inside your head directly to

you there have also been studies focused

on art that say that art can cause

significant changes in the experiences

and the experience of one's own

personality traits this doesn't surprise

me at all and i think that most of us

could probably say that yes we have seen

a piece of art at least one piece of art

in our lifetime that has affected us on

a deeper level sometimes in a way that

we can't even really describe in words

it's just something that speaks to us

same with music there are certain songs

that seem to get inside our very being

certain songs that have a physical and

emotional reaction to us and sometimes

that we feel understood by movies shows

dance there's so many different forms of

art that create an emotional and

physical reaction in us and that also

shape who we are and who we become this

includes books and from experience i can

say i have definitely been shaped by

many fiction books as well as nonfiction

and finally the last way that i want to

talk about in this video that fiction

reading affects the mind the person is

in stress reduction research has shown

that reading reduces stress better and

more quickly than common other methods

used like going for a walk listening to

music

drinking tea or coffee and that reading

starts reducing stress as quickly as six

minutes inside a story now while in this

video i talked a lot about ways in which

fiction affects the mind or the

subconscious or the emotional benefits

more than non-fiction every single one

of these things are benefited through

non-fiction too you get benefits no

matter which method you choose to read

and this video was focused on specific

benefits for fiction

reading but there are loads of other

things that i could talk about where

non-fiction gets more benefits than

fiction so is one actually better than

the other again

i don't care i'm really not trying to

debate that one is better than the other

i use and enjoy

both but fiction is discounted much

faster than non-fiction very often in

life so i wanted to dig into some of the

benefits that fiction specifically

provides us as i said in the previous

video there are psychological

neurological emotional benefits to just

doing something that you enjoy it

doesn't matter if it actually affects

the brain in some great way just

chilling out with a book with a video

game with a movie with your knitting or

your model airplanes i don't care what

your hobby is just

resting your mind and your body has so

many benefits

in and of itself

but

reading fiction also has a lot of

educational and developmental benefits

as well just like non-fiction does again

this video isn't about saying one is

better than the other it's about showing

that both are very beneficial not just

the one that people tend to think is

beneficial personally when i'm wanting

to learn more about a particular topic i

like to pick a non-fiction and a fiction

to help me process what i'm trying to

work through or get better at for

instance i'm very close with my

grandparents and when my grandpa died it

was really really hard on me and i was

trying to figure out how to process my

grief i picked up several non-fictions

and several fictions with a particular

emphasis on grief and while i learned so

much about

healthy coping mechanisms healthy

processing and

just validating that

grief isn't something that you kind of

get over or that goes away it's kind of

always there

it's just that over time

it gets a little bit easier i learned a

lot about grief through the nonfictions

but easily the book that helped me to

process my grief the most and feel like

i was beginning to take steps forward

out of being covered by it was pet

cemetery by stephen king which is a

horror book but it's a book that uses

horror as a tool in order to deeply

explore

grief and when i

loved this book and talked about it a

lot people started reading it because of

me and i got a lot of feedback of people

being disappointed by the book because

it really wasn't that scary and on

reflection yeah it really wasn't that

scary but i don't care because it it

used that horror as a tool

to dissect

grief and its different layers and

levels and i gained so much from that

discussion that happened in that book

and i could point you to so many

non-fiction books where i've gained so

much as well as so many fiction books

where i have gained so much i don't

discuss all the nonfiction that i read

on this channel because a lot of times

what i'm reading is very personal stuff

that i'm trying to work through stuff

that i'm trying to learn more about for

myself so

you know it's for me i don't always

bring it

here but i do some of them and i really

think that there are great benefits that

i get from both fiction and in

non-fiction anyway that's the whole

video i'm a nerd and i really like

looking into this stuff i really love

these research informational based

videos i think they're so much fun i

hope you got something out of it too if

you were looking for some validation for

this hobby that you love i hope you got

some but be sure to chat with me more

about it in the comments again all the

research is also in the description i

post videos every tuesday through friday

i'll see you again soon bye same with

music there are certain songs that seem

to get inside our very being certain

songs that have a physical and emotional

reaction to us and sometimes that we

feel understood by

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

you