Fiction matters: divergent links between fiction media exposure, genre preferences and social skills

Lifetime experience with fictional prose positively relates to social skills. The significance of thematic genres and media formats however, remains unclear. This study tested the general prediction that experience with fiction media and genre formats would differentially relate to dimensions of empathy and altruism. Participants (N = 123) completed a multidimensional task-measure of lifetime fiction-exposure and answered questions about fiction preferences and social skills. Results generally revealed positive correlations among fiction experience and social abilities, in particular, comedy was strongly associated with all social ability measures. Fiction-exposure via prose, film and theatre combined predicted 17% of variability in altruism, although prose was the only statistically significant contributor. The findings support previous evidence linking fiction experience to social skills, and indicate that associations between social abilities, media and genre diverge.

• https://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/40472/