Reading fiction as an intervention to alter mood state.

BACKGROUND: Many forms of media have shown an effect on mood state, and so may confer benefits for health and wellbeing. Literary fiction has some similarities with other narrative media such as film, but the effects of reading fiction has received little attention in research. OBJECTIVE: Reading has shown to have a marked effect on an individual’s cognitions and behaviour. Reading fiction may affect wellbeing, including mood state. METHOD AND MATERIALS: The effects of reading fiction on mood was examined by two separate experiments in this paper. In the first experiment, change in mood after reading short stories was assessed, including a comparison of the effect of different story types (n=4), namely happy, sad, scary, and neutral. Mood was measured using a 4-item mood scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Participants completed the Highly Sensitive Persons Scale (HSP). In a follow-up experiment participants completed the HSP, and if they scored as being highly sensitive, they were invited to read an extract of fiction, selected for its emotional content. RESULTS: In the first experiment, no significant effect of story type was evident, although HSP scores were associated with mood change. In the follow-up experiment there was a significant increase in both positive and negative affect after reading the excerpt. CONCLUSION: Reading short stories can affect the moods of highly sensitive individuals.