Relationship Between The Reading Of Novels And The Sociocognitive Mechanisms Associated With Mirror Neurons: A Systematic Review Of The Scientific Evidence

Abstract

This research highlights that reading novels is not limited to a cultural practice, but rather constitutes a process that involves sociocognitive mechanisms. Using a systematic review methodology executed under PRISMA 2020 criteria, 50 studies were analyzed that examine the relationship between literary narrative and the sociocognitive mechanisms mediated by mirror neurons. This exhaustive search of high-impact databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and Google Scholar was also included. Rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, quality assessment using AMSTAR-2, Cochrane, and STROBE tools was performed, and finally a qualitative narrative synthesis was completed, complemented by an exploratory meta-analysis of 18 comparable studies.

The results indicate that novels function as social simulators, where readers rehearse emotions and ethical dilemmas. Neuroscience supports this hypothesis: during reading, brain regions linked to movement, empathy, and social cognition are activated, confirming the embodied simulation hypothesis. Consequently, reading promotes empathy, theory of mind, and cognitive flexibility, with particularly visible effects in young people and university students.

Despite methodological limitations, the predominance of cross-sectional studies, and the limited cultural representation in neuroscientific research, the evidence converges on a central point: the novel is more than a cultural artifact. It is a neurocognitive tool capable of strengthening social sensitivity and contributing to civic development, with promising applications in education, clinical practice, and interdisciplinary research.