Identification and Transportation

• This means the extent to which the reader identifies with characters and situations and how much they become mentally and emotionally immersed in the story.

Research suggests the following potential impacts of reading stories:

• it may make readers more helpful, less prejudiced and better able to understand varied mental states
• Kidd and Castano (2013) found reading enhanced people’s ‘Theory of Mind’ = the skill of understanding others that helps society.
• Reading makes people feel happier with their own lives.