A taxonomy of the emotions of literary response and a theory of identification in fictional narrative
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The main approaches theorise literature as a form of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), such that literary texts allow readers to re-frame their orientation to the world by allowing the self to be refracted through identification with a third-party perspective.
“So far as it has been theorised at all, the main approaches seem to volunteer literature as a form of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), such that literary texts allow readers to re-frame their orientation to the world by allowing the self to be refracted through identification with a third-party perspective [29, 30].”
From Five studies evaluating the impact on mental health and mood of recalling, reading, and discussing fiction (2022) · cites this paper as [29]
During reading, a combination of cognitive processes-such as recognition or assimilation, and reframing or accommodation-alongside emotional responses like empathy, memory activation, and character identification, are activated.
“During reading, a combination of cognitive processes—such as recognition or assimilation, and reframing or accommodation—alongside emotional responses like empathy, memory activation, and character identification, are activated (36, 65).”
From Recent developments in bibliotherapy for adolescent depression (2025) · cites this paper as [36]
Certain literary works offer a psychologically safe space for emotional exploration, allowing readers to reflect upon and regulate their own affective experiences through empathy with the characters.
“Certain works offer a psychologically safe space for emotional exploration, allowing readers to reflect upon and regulate their own affective experiences through empathy with the characters (36).”
From Recent developments in bibliotherapy for adolescent depression (2025) · cites this paper as [36]
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Mar, R. A., Oatley, K., Hirsh, J., dela Paz, J., & Peterson, J. B. (2006) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2005.08.002 · Cited by 614 · see citing works
Self-citationKeen, S. (2006) · Narrative · doi:10.1353/nar.2006.0015 · Cited by 605 · see citing works
Mar, R. A., Oatley, K., & Peterson, J. B. (2009) · COMM · doi:10.1515/comm.2009.025 · Cited by 552 · see citing works
Self-citationWhy Fiction May be Twice as True as Fact: Fiction as Cognitive and Emotional Simulation
Oatley, K. (1999) · Review of General Psychology · doi:10.1037/1089-2680.3.2.101 · Cited by 585 · see citing works
Self-citationPersuasive effects of fictional narratives increase over time
Appel, M., & Richter, T. (2007) · Media Psychology · doi:10.1080/15213260701301194 · Cited by 376 · see citing works
Meetings of minds: Dialogue, sympathy, and identification, in reading fiction
Oatley, K. (1999) · Poetics · doi:10.1016/s0304-422x(99)00011-x · Cited by 332 · see citing works
Self-citationIdentification with characters and narrative persuasion through fictional feature films
Igartua, J.-J. (2010) · Communications · doi:10.1515/comm.2010.019 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Leisure reading and social cognition: A meta-analysis.
Mumper, M. L., & Gerrig, R. J. (2017) · Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts · doi:10.1037/aca0000089 · Cited by 249 · see citing works
Effects of Literature on Empathy and Self-Reflection: A Theoretical-Empirical Framework
Koopman, E. M. (., & Hakemulder, F. (2015) · Journal of Literary Theory · doi:10.1515/jlt-2015-0005 · Cited by 218 · see citing works
Mar, R. A. (2018) · Discourse Processes · doi:10.1080/0163853x.2018.1448209 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Identifying with fictive characters: structural brain correlates of the personality trait ‘fantasy’
Cheetham, M., Hänggi, J., & Jancke, L. (2014) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nst179 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Carney, J., & Robertson, C. (2022) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0266323 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Redman, H., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Bethel, A., & Green, J. (2024) · Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1186/s13643-024-02482-8 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Recent developments in bibliotherapy for adolescent depression
Liao, F., Liang, J., Zhang, M., Liang, W., Zhang, C., & Yun, X. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1681462 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
- Authors
- Oatley, K.
- Corresponding author
- Oatley, Keith
- ORCID
- Oatley, Keith
- Venue
- Poetics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1995-01
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 53-74
- ISSN
- 0304-422X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1986930799
- Cited by
- 555
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 32 · 2014: 51 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 52.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Poetics (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-16-CE28-0004)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Narrative Theory and Analysis
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Literary Theory and Cultural Hermeneutics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Ethics, Aesthetics, and Art
- Keywords
- character identification, mimesis, Aristotle, simulation, narrative fiction, curiosity, dishabituation, schemas, sympathy, mental models, speech acts, reader response, cognitive change
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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
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