Emotional Intelligence: A Case Study on the Impact of Fiction Reading

Abstract

This study critically examined the relationship between reading fiction and the development of Emotional Intelligence (EI) to assess whether engagement with narrative literature contributes to the enhancement of empathy, self-awareness, emotional regulation, and social skills. To address this question, an online survey was administered to a sample of 97 participants, who provided information about their personal characteristics and reading behaviors. The survey included self-report items on reading habits, a validated emotional intelligence scale using a Likert format, and the Author Recognition Task (ART) to measure reading exposure objectively. The Author Recognition Task (ART) was employed to validate claims of frequent reading based on the premise that regular readers are more likely to recognize established authors. Emotional Intelligence was assessed using a self-report questionnaire utilizing a Likert scale. The analysis revealed minimal to no correlation between the quantity of fiction read and participants' levels of emotional Intelligence. While the study is subject to certain limitations, the findings represent the outcome of a rigorous and systematic data analysis process. These findings suggest that while reading fiction is often associated with emotional and cognitive growth, the relationship may be more complex or influenced by additional variables not captured in this study. Implications for future research and educational practice are discussed. KEYWORDS: emotional intelligence, emotional impact, emotional literacy, perspective-taking, emotional competence, literary engagement, social cognition, emotional expression, psychological development, theory of mind, emotional awareness, self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, empathy, emotional perception