Annie Murphy Paul uses studies to back up her thesis. For example, she argues that people who often read fiction appear to be better able to understand other people, emphasize with them, and view the world from their perspective. "A 2010 study by Mar found a similar result in young children: the more more stories they had read to them, the keener their "theory of mind", or mental model of other people's intentions."
Murphy also uses research to provide evidence that reading changes an individual. "Recent research in cognitive science, psychology and neuroscience has demonstrated that deep-slow,immersive,rich in sensory detail and emotional and moral complexity-is a distinctive experience, different in kind from the mere decoding of words."