Immersion in fictional stories and empathic accuracy: Methodological challenges and future research

Studies have shown that fiction-reading immediately enhances performance on tests of empathic accuracy, the ability to interpret and understand the experiences of others (for a recent meta-analysis, see Dodell-Feder & Tamir, 2018), however the cognitive mechanisms involved remain unclear. The present study drew on correlational research showing positive relationships between the tendency to become immersed in fictional stories and empathic accuracy (e.g., e.g., Kidd & Castano, 2013; Samur, Tops, & Koole, 2017), and experimental evidence that becoming immersed in fictional narratives can promote attitude-change (e.g., Green & Brock, 2000); and aimed to contribute to knowledge of the role of immersion in fiction effects on empathic accuracy. Results from two pre-test studies and two experiments demonstrating relationships between immersion in a fictional story and cognitive and affective empathic accuracy measures will be presented. The theoretical and practical pitfalls encountered in studying the effects of immersion on empathic accuracy, specifically issues concerning stimulus choice, the manipulation of immersion, and dissociations between empathic accuracy measures, as well as avenues for future research, will be highlighted for discussion.