Exploring the link between reading fiction and empathy: Ruling out individual differences and examining outcomes

By Raymond A. Mar, Keith Oatley, Jordan B. Peterson. 2009

440 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Subfields: Applied Psychology, Literature and Literary Theory, Sociology and Political Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/34867a50a25476669af92d01d4c649b249b74a26

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In Applied Psychology

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Citations in the corpus

Theory of Mind: a Hidden Factor in Reading Comprehension? (2018, background): “Mar et al. (2006) found that adults’ lifetime exposure to fiction positively predicted measures of ToM, empathy, and social ability, whereas non-fiction exposure was a negative predictor (see also Mar et al. 2009).”
The neural bases of social cognition and story comprehension. (2011, background): “But additional support comes in the form of a subsequent study that ruled out the role of individual differences in explaining this phenomenon (Mar et al. 2009).”
What You Read Matters: The Role of Fiction Genre in Predicting Interpersonal Sensitivity (2013, methodology): “It has been suggested that narrative fiction provides a simulation of social relationships and interactions (Mar & Oatley, 2008), which helps to maintain and improve social skills (Mar et al., 2006; 2009; Mar, Tackett, & Moore, 2010).”
Different stories: How levels of familiarity with literary and genre fiction relate to mentalizing. (2017, methodology): “…dimensions and a tendency to become immersed in fiction do not account for the relation between exposure to fiction in general and ToM performance (Mar et al., 2009), this is to our knowledge the first study to specifically examine whether individual differences in multiple components of trait…”
Empathic reactions after reading: The role of genre, personal factors and affective responses (2015, background): “To some extent, they are also backed up by empirical evidence showing a relation between reading stories and scores on empathy measures (e.g., Mar et al., 2006, 2009; Kidd and Castano, 2013).”
Effects of Literature on Empathy and Self-Reflection: A Theoretical-Empirical Framework (2015, positive): “…studies demonstrated positive effects on various empathic measures, like role-taking ability, motivation for pro-social behavior and altruistic conduct (Adler/Foster 1997; Bilsky 1989; Djikic/Oatley/Moldoveanu 2013; Johnson 2012; 2013; Mar et al. 2006; Mar et al. 2009; Shapiro/Morrison/Boker 2004).”