Emotion and narrative fiction: Interactive influences before, during, and after reading

Area of Science:

• Psychology of Reading
• Literary Studies
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Emotions play a crucial role in how individuals engage with literary narrative fiction.
• Reader's affective state influences book selection, aiming to alter or sustain mood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current empirical research on the interaction between emotions and literary narrative fiction.
• To identify key stages in the emotion-narrative relationship: selection, evocation/transformation, and post-reading consequences.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of empirical studies.
• Synthesis of research findings across different stages of reader-narrative interaction.

Main Results:

• Reader's mood impacts book choice.
• Narratives evoke and transform emotions through plot, characters, and memory activation.
• Emotions influence the reading experience and have lasting effects after reading.

Conclusions:

• The relationship between emotions and literary narrative fiction is multifaceted, spanning before, during, and after reading.
• Further empirical research is needed to fully understand this complex interaction.