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How Does Fiction Reading Influence Empathy? An Experimental Investigation on the Role of Emotional Transportation

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  • P Matthijs Bal
  • Martijn Veltkamp

Abstract

The current study investigated whether fiction experiences change empathy of the reader. Based on transportation theory, it was predicted that when people read fiction, and they are emotionally transported into the story, they become more empathic. Two experiments showed that empathy was influenced over a period of one week for people who read a fictional story, but only when they were emotionally transported into the story. No transportation led to lower empathy in both studies, while study 1 showed that high transportation led to higher empathy among fiction readers. These effects were not found for people in the control condition where people read non-fiction. The study showed that fiction influences empathy of the reader, but only under the condition of low or high emotional transportation into the story.

Suggested Citation

  • P Matthijs Bal & Martijn Veltkamp, 2013. "How Does Fiction Reading Influence Empathy? An Experimental Investigation on the Role of Emotional Transportation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0055341
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055341
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jennifer J. Argo & Rui (Juliet) Zhu & Darren W. Dahl, 2008. "Fact or Fiction: An Investigation of Empathy Differences in Response to Emotional Melodramatic Entertainment," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 34(5), pages 614-623, August.
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    1. Wojciech Małecki & Bogusław Pawłowski & Piotr Sorokowski, 2016. "Literary Fiction Influences Attitudes Toward Animal Welfare," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Inge M Brokerhof & Jan Fekke Ybema & P Matthijs Bal, 2020. "Illness narratives and chronic patients’ sustainable employability: The impact of positive work stories," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-17, February.
    3. A. Walter Dorn & Peter F. Dawson, 2021. "Simulating Peace Operations: New Digital Possibilities for Training and Public Education," Simulation & Gaming, , vol. 52(2), pages 226-242, April.
    4. Raúl Navarro & Seung-ha Lee & Angélica Jiménez & Cristina Cañamares, 2019. "Cross-Cultural children’s Subjective Perceptions of Well-Being: Insights from Focus Group Discussions with Children Aged under 9 years in Spain, South Korea and Mexico," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(1), pages 115-140, February.
    5. Bruce Wydick & Elizabeth Katz & Flor Calvo & Felipe Gutierrez & Brendan Janet, 2018. "Shoeing the Children: The Impact of the TOMS Shoe Donation Program in Rural El Salvador," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 32(3), pages 727-751.
    6. Mak, Hei Wan & Fancourt, Daisy, 2020. "Longitudinal associations between reading for pleasure and child maladjustment: Results from a propensity score matching analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).

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