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Article published In: Scientific Study of Literature
Vol. 11:2 (2021) ► pp.223–265

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The effects of reading narrative fiction on social and moral cognition

Two experiments following a multi-method approach

ORCiD logo with link | University of Freiburg
ORCiD logo with link | University of York
ORCiD logo with link | University of London
ORCiD logo with link | University of Kent
Published online: 25 March 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ssol.21010.wim
Abstract
We present two experiments examining the effects of reading narrative fiction (vs. narrative non-fiction vs. expository non-fiction) on social and moral cognition, using a battery of self-report, explicit and implicit indicators. Experiment 1 (N = 340) implemented a pre-registered, randomized between-groups design, and assessed multiple outcomes after a short reading assignment. Results failed to reveal any differences between the three reading conditions on either social or moral cognition. Experiment 2 employed a longitudinal design. N = 104 participants were randomly assigned to read an entire book over seven days. Outcome variables were assessed before and after the reading assignment as well as at a one-week follow-up. Results did not show any differential development between the three reading conditions over time. The present results do not support the claim that reading narrative fiction is apt to improve our general social and moral cognition.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Experiment 1
  • Materials and methods
    • Participants
    • Reading stimuli
    • Assessment tasks
      • State affect
      • Trait empathy
      • Lifetime exposure to print
      • Transportation
      • Emotion recognition
      • Implicit morality
      • Theory of mind (ToM)
    • Procedure
    • Data analysis
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Experiment 2
  • Materials and methods
    • Participants
    • Reading stimuli
    • Assessment tasks
      • Affective empathy
      • Emotion recognition
      • Implicit morality
      • Prosocial behaviour
    • Procedure
    • Data analysis
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • General discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Declaration of interest statement
  • Open practices statement
  • Notes
  • References
References (124)
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Zeng, Ruoyan & Ellen Winner
2022. Preaching to the Choir and Beyond. Scientific Study of Literature 12:1-2 ► pp. 133 ff. DOI logo

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