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The effect of reading literary fiction on the theory of mind skills among persons with schizophrenia and normal controls

INTRODUCTION: Recent research data suggest that theory of mind (ToM) skills may improve after reading literary fiction. However, beside this short term favorable effect, regular long-term reading of literary fiction may also support ToM development or may improve ToM performance. The presence of imp...

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Autores principales: Fekete, Judit, Pótó, Zsuzsanna, Varga, Eszter, Hebling, Dóra, Herold, Márton, Albert, Noémi, Pethő, Borbála, Tényi, Tamás, Herold, Róbert
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10282181/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37351004
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1197677
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author Fekete, Judit
Pótó, Zsuzsanna
Varga, Eszter
Hebling, Dóra
Herold, Márton
Albert, Noémi
Pethő, Borbála
Tényi, Tamás
Herold, Róbert
author_facet Fekete, Judit
Pótó, Zsuzsanna
Varga, Eszter
Hebling, Dóra
Herold, Márton
Albert, Noémi
Pethő, Borbála
Tényi, Tamás
Herold, Róbert
author_sort Fekete, Judit
collection PubMed
description INTRODUCTION: Recent research data suggest that theory of mind (ToM) skills may improve after reading literary fiction. However, beside this short term favorable effect, regular long-term reading of literary fiction may also support ToM development or may improve ToM performance. The presence of impaired ToM abilities is well-documented in schizophrenia; however, the role of reading in these deficits is unknown. In the present study our aim was to assess the effect of prior reading experiences on theory of mind performance in patients with schizophrenia, and in healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ToM assessment was done with the Short Story Task, which is based on the interpretation of a Hemingway short story. After reading the short story, questions were asked in an interview format regarding comprehension, explicit and implicit ToM skills, then comparative analysis of schizophrenia patients was performed (n = 47) and matched to a normal control (n = 48) group concerning deficits of ToM abilities. Participants were also stratified according to their prior reading experiences. RESULTS: Previous reading experience was associated with better comprehension and explicit ToM performance both in patients with schizophrenia, and in healthy controls. However, the explicit ToM performance of patients with prior reading was still weaker compared to healthy controls with reading experiences. Path model analysis revealed that reading had a direct positive effect on ToM, and an indirect effect through improving comprehension. CONCLUSIONS: Prior reading experience is associated with better ToM performance not just in healthy controls but also in patients living with schizophrenia. Previous reading experience also improves comprehension, which in turn has a favorable impact on ToM. Our results support the idea that literary fiction reading may have a therapeutic potential in the rehabilitation of schizophrenia.
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spelling pubmed-102821812023-06-22 The effect of reading literary fiction on the theory of mind skills among persons with schizophrenia and normal controls Fekete, Judit Pótó, Zsuzsanna Varga, Eszter Hebling, Dóra Herold, Márton Albert, Noémi Pethő, Borbála Tényi, Tamás Herold, Róbert Front Psychiatry Psychiatry INTRODUCTION: Recent research data suggest that theory of mind (ToM) skills may improve after reading literary fiction. However, beside this short term favorable effect, regular long-term reading of literary fiction may also support ToM development or may improve ToM performance. The presence of impaired ToM abilities is well-documented in schizophrenia; however, the role of reading in these deficits is unknown. In the present study our aim was to assess the effect of prior reading experiences on theory of mind performance in patients with schizophrenia, and in healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ToM assessment was done with the Short Story Task, which is based on the interpretation of a Hemingway short story. After reading the short story, questions were asked in an interview format regarding comprehension, explicit and implicit ToM skills, then comparative analysis of schizophrenia patients was performed (n = 47) and matched to a normal control (n = 48) group concerning deficits of ToM abilities. Participants were also stratified according to their prior reading experiences. RESULTS: Previous reading experience was associated with better comprehension and explicit ToM performance both in patients with schizophrenia, and in healthy controls. However, the explicit ToM performance of patients with prior reading was still weaker compared to healthy controls with reading experiences. Path model analysis revealed that reading had a direct positive effect on ToM, and an indirect effect through improving comprehension. CONCLUSIONS: Prior reading experience is associated with better ToM performance not just in healthy controls but also in patients living with schizophrenia. Previous reading experience also improves comprehension, which in turn has a favorable impact on ToM. Our results support the idea that literary fiction reading may have a therapeutic potential in the rehabilitation of schizophrenia. Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-06-07 /pmc/articles/PMC10282181/ /pubmed/37351004 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1197677 Text en Copyright © 2023 Fekete, Pótó, Varga, Hebling, Herold, Albert, Pethő, Tényi and Herold. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Psychiatry
Fekete, Judit
Pótó, Zsuzsanna
Varga, Eszter
Hebling, Dóra
Herold, Márton
Albert, Noémi
Pethő, Borbála
Tényi, Tamás
Herold, Róbert
The effect of reading literary fiction on the theory of mind skills among persons with schizophrenia and normal controls
title The effect of reading literary fiction on the theory of mind skills among persons with schizophrenia and normal controls
title_full The effect of reading literary fiction on the theory of mind skills among persons with schizophrenia and normal controls
title_fullStr The effect of reading literary fiction on the theory of mind skills among persons with schizophrenia and normal controls
title_full_unstemmed The effect of reading literary fiction on the theory of mind skills among persons with schizophrenia and normal controls
title_short The effect of reading literary fiction on the theory of mind skills among persons with schizophrenia and normal controls
title_sort effect of reading literary fiction on the theory of mind skills among persons with schizophrenia and normal controls
topic Psychiatry
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10282181/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37351004
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1197677
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