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

Rose Turner; Fatima Felisberti

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

Rose Turner
, Fatima Felisberti

Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 5 Aug 2017
Event	American Psychological Association 125th Annual Convention - Washington, DC, U.S. Duration: 3 Aug 2017 → 5 Aug 2017

Conference

Conference	American Psychological Association 125th Annual Convention
Period	3/08/17 → 5/08/17

Bibliographical note

Organising Body: American Psychological Association

Keywords

Psychology

Cite this

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

abstract = "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.",

keywords = "Psychology",

author = "Rose Turner and Fatima Felisberti",

note = "Organising Body: American Psychological Association; American Psychological Association 125th Annual Convention ; Conference date: 03-08-2017 Through 05-08-2017",

year = "2017",

month = aug,

day = "5",

language = "English",

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TY - CONF

T1 - Fiction matters

T2 - American Psychological Association 125th Annual Convention

AU - Turner, Rose

AU - Felisberti, Fatima

N1 - Organising Body: American Psychological Association

PY - 2017/8/5

Y1 - 2017/8/5

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Psychology

UR - http://apps.apa.org/convsearch/article.aspx?id=170260&type=abstract

M3 - Poster

Y2 - 3 August 2017 through 5 August 2017

ER -

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

Abstract

Conference

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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Cite this