Psychologists have discovered that while reading a book or story, people are prone to subconsciously adopt their behavior, thoughts, beliefs and internal responses to that of fictional characters as if they were their own.
Experts have dubbed this subconscious phenomenon ‘experience-taking,’ where people actually change their own behaviors and thoughts to match those of a fictional character that they can identify with.
Researcher from the Ohio State University conducted a series of six different experiments on about 500 participants, reporting in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, found that in the right situations, ‘experience-taking,’ may lead to temporary real world changes in the lives of readers.
They found that stories written in the first-person can temporarily transform the way readers view the world, themselves and other social groups.
I always wondered at how Christopher Hitchens (who, when he wasn’t being a columnist, was a professor of English literature) went on and on about the power of fiction for revealing moral truths. This gives me a better idea of how people could imprint on well-written fiction. More so than, say, logically-reasoned philosophical tracts.
This article is, of course, a popularisation. Anyone have links to the original paper?
Edit: Gwern delivers (PDF): Kaufman, G. F., & Libby, L. K. (2012, March 26). “Changing Beliefs and Behavior Through Experience-Taking.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0027525
[LINK] The power of fiction for moral instruction
From Medical Daily: Psychologists Discover How People Subconsciously Become Their Favorite Fictional Characters
Psychologists have discovered that while reading a book or story, people are prone to subconsciously adopt their behavior, thoughts, beliefs and internal responses to that of fictional characters as if they were their own.
Experts have dubbed this subconscious phenomenon ‘experience-taking,’ where people actually change their own behaviors and thoughts to match those of a fictional character that they can identify with.
Researcher from the Ohio State University conducted a series of six different experiments on about 500 participants, reporting in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, found that in the right situations, ‘experience-taking,’ may lead to temporary real world changes in the lives of readers.
They found that stories written in the first-person can temporarily transform the way readers view the world, themselves and other social groups.
I always wondered at how Christopher Hitchens (who, when he wasn’t being a columnist, was a professor of English literature) went on and on about the power of fiction for revealing moral truths. This gives me a better idea of how people could imprint on well-written fiction. More so than, say, logically-reasoned philosophical tracts.
This article is, of course, a popularisation. Anyone have links to the original paper?
Edit: Gwern delivers (PDF): Kaufman, G. F., & Libby, L. K. (2012, March 26). “Changing Beliefs and Behavior Through Experience-Taking.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0027525