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Fiction: Simulation of Social Worlds.

Keith Oatley1

  • 1Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ONT M5S 1V6, Canada.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|July 25, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Reading fiction, especially literary fiction, enhances understanding of others and self-perception. Engaging with complex characters and narratives in stories improves social cognition and personal growth.

Keywords:
consciousnessempathyinferencemental modelsreading

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Literary Studies
  • Social Neuroscience

Background:

  • Fiction simulates social interactions and self-experiences.
  • Exposure to narratives influences cognitive and emotional processing.
  • Literary fiction presents complex characters and situations beyond everyday life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how reading fiction impacts social understanding and self-perception.
  • To explore the mechanisms behind fiction's effects on readers.
  • To determine the role of narrative engagement and content in cognitive augmentation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cognitive and emotional responses to fictional narratives.
  • Examination of reader engagement through inference and emotional involvement.
  • Study of the impact of complex characters and circumstances in fiction.

Main Results:

  • Reading fiction demonstrably improves individuals' understanding of others.
  • Literary fiction is particularly effective in enhancing self-understanding and personal change.
  • Engagement processes (inference, emotional involvement) and narrative content (complex characters/situations) are key factors.

Conclusions:

  • Fiction serves as a vital tool for augmenting social cognition and self-awareness.
  • Internalizing fictional experiences enhances everyday cognitive abilities.
  • Authorship and readership form a conduit for shared consciousness and cognitive development.