Contributions of Reading Fiction to Well-Being: Positive, Negative, and Ambiguous Consequences of Engaging with Fiction

From the child considering whether the pigeon should drive the bus to the literature professor pondering the thematic threads in Toni Morrison’s novels, people are transfixed by stories. Yet, they know relatively little about how engaging with stories might shape who they become. This chapter explores recent research investigating the effects of reading fiction on cognitive and intellectual development, personal development, and social development. In each domain, attention is given to how qualities of texts and readers may interact to yield seemingly contradictory effects. The chapter concludes with examples of practical applications of reading programs and suggestions for addressing key limitations and gaps in the research literature.