Bookworms, film buffs and thespians: Divergent relationships between experience of fiction media, genre and empathic traits

Lifetime exposure to fictional prose is positively associated with empathic abilities (Mar et al., 2006). Reading a passage of fiction appears to enhance social cognition (Kidd & Castano, 2013) and increase altruistic behaviors (Johnson, 2012). The significance of thematic genres and media formats in the relationship between fiction and empathic traits, however, remains unclear. This study tested the general prediction that experience with fiction media and genre formats would differentially relate to dimensions of trait empathy and altruism. Participants (N=123) completed a multidimensional task-measure of fiction media-exposure based on similar tools (e.g. Stanovich & West, 1989), and answered questions about fiction preferences and empathic tendencies. Results showed divergent associations between experience with fiction media, genre, and empathic traits, and fictionexposure positively predicted 17% of variation in altruism. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research linking the social content of fiction to empathy, and recommendations are made for future investigations of fiction exposure.