Storytelling and the Social World: Perspectives on Readers and Writers of Literary Fiction

Abstract

Literary fiction is a ubiquitous and meaningful product of human creativity. Previous research has suggested that a core function of fiction may be to simulate the human social landscape in narrative form, promoting learning of crucial social knowledge that can then be implemented in real-life interactions. This paper aimed to evaluate that claim in the context of several gaps in our understanding of how human cognitive processes respond to fiction. We first examined the intersections between neurodivergence and fiction, given that the existence and unique characteristics of neurodivergent people have not been sufficiently accounted for in research on fiction psychology. There is strong evidence supporting the ability of many autistic people to engage meaningfully with literary fiction, as well as compelling evidence that approaching the study of literary fiction through a neurodivergent lens will lead to novel insights about both neurodivergent people and fiction itself. Second, we extended our investigation of fiction to the question of authorship. This chapter, after discussing evolutionary factors, humanity’s inclination for meaning-making, and the potential individual benefits of processing thoughts and emotions through writing, concluded that motivations for authorship result from a combination of internal and external forces. Ultimately, this thesis demonstrates the diversity of reasons that inspire our species to create and consume socially relevant literary fiction and encourages scholars conducting future psychological research to consider the forgotten readers and writers among us.