Reading minds and reading texts: Evidence for independent and specific associations
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Studies have found links between theory of mind and reading comprehension in early and middle childhood, after controlling for verbal ability and parent education.
“Indeed, studies have found links between ToM and reading comprehension in early (Kim, 2016) and middle childhood (Lecce et al., 2017, 2021), after controlling for verbal ability and parent education.”
From Longitudinal development of theory of mind in adolescence and its associations with fiction reading experience. (2025) · cites this paper as Lecce et al., 2021
Cites
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Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind
Kidd, D. C., & Castano, E. (2013) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1239918 · Cited by 1,642 · see citing works
Other minds in the brain: a functional imaging study of “theory of mind” in story comprehension.
Fletcher, P. (1995) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/0010-0277(95)00692-r · Cited by 1,522 · see citing works
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The Function of Fiction is the Abstraction and Simulation of Social Experience
Mar, R. A., & Oatley, K. (2008) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00073.x · Cited by 1,345 · see citing works
Executive functions and achievements in school: Shifting, updating, inhibition, and working memory
St Clair-Thompson, H. L., & Gathercole, S. E. (2006) · Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology · doi:10.1080/17470210500162854 · Cited by 1,278 · see citing works
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Fiction reading has a small positive impact on social cognition: A meta-analysis.
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Reading other minds: Effects of literature on empathy
Djikic, M., Oatley, K., & Moldoveanu, M. C. (2013) · Scientific Study of Literature · doi:10.1075/ssol.3.1.06dji · Cited by 187 · see citing works
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The Use of “Literary Fiction” to Promote Mentalizing Ability
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Lenhart, J., Richter, T., Appel, M., & Mar, R. A. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-35346-7 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
van der Kleij, S. W., Devine, R. T., Shapiro, L. R., Ricketts, J., & Apperly, I. (2025) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/dev0001965 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- Lecce, S., Bianco, F., & Hughes, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Pavia (IT)
- University of Bergamo (IT)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Lecce, Serena
- Venue
- Cognitive Development
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-01
- Volume
- 57
- Pages
- 101010
- ISSN
- 0885-2014 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3127014861
- Cited by
- 58
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 4
- FWCI
- 12.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Cognitive Development (publishedVersion)
- Aisberg (University of Bergamo) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
- Keywords
- theory of mind, reading comprehension, verbal ability, working memory, family affluence, mathematical ability, middle childhood, academic performance, individual differences
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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
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