■同理心和观点可能有助于避免对不良健康行为的污名化。叙事写作已被证明可以有效地促进观点和同理心。但是由于叙事写作很耗时,我们在本研究中测试了叙事阅读作为替代,更吝啬的方法。
■在一项随机对照实验中,我们比较了撰写关于一个虚构的人的叙述性文本,该虚构的人表现出对健康行为的不赞成,与阅读此类文本以及参与者撰写无关主题的对照条件。以n=194名参与者为样本,我们调查了撰写和阅读叙事性文本对促进移情关注和观点采纳以及态度改变的影响。
■我们发现,撰写和阅读关于虚构人物的叙述性文字都增加了对移情的关注,F(1,191)=32.85,p<0.001,部分。η2=0.15,透视,F(1,191)=24.76,p<0.001,part。η2=0.12,比撰写无关主题更强烈。写作和阅读叙事性文本也导致了对这个人更积极的态度,F(1,191)=17.63,p<0.001,份。η2=0.08。就移情关注而言,简单地阅读叙事文本与叙事写作同样有效,p=0.581,透视,p=0.629,态度,p=0.197。
■叙事阅读与叙事写作一样有效的发现表明,读者似乎能够理解并参与所讲述的故事。当叙事阅读和叙事写作一样有效时,它可以通过减少增加同理心的努力来成功,透视,和态度。我们讨论了这种方法对减少不良健康行为的污名化的好处。
Empathic concern and perspective-taking may contribute to avoiding stigmatization of adverse health behavior. Narrative writing has been shown to be effective in promoting perspective-taking and empathy. But since narrative writing is time consuming, we tested in the present study narrative reading as an alternative, more parsimonious approach.
In a randomized controlled experiment, we compared writing a narrative text about a fictitious person who displays disapproved of health behavior to reading such a text and to a control condition in which participants wrote about an unrelated topic. With a sample of n = 194 participants, we investigated the impact of writing and reading a narrative text on promoting empathic concern and perspective-taking as well as on attitude change.
We found that both writing and reading a narrative text about the fictitious character increased empathic concern, F(1, 191) = 32.85, p < 0.001, part. η2 = 0.15, and perspective-taking, F(1, 191) = 24.76, p < 0.001, part. η2 = 0.12, more strongly than writing about an unrelated topic. Writing and reading a narrative text also resulted in a more positive attitude toward this person, F(1, 191) = 17.63, p < 0.001, part. η2 = 0.08. Simply reading a narrative text was equally efficient as narrative writing with respect to empathic concern, p = 0.581, perspective-taking, p = 0.629, and attitude, p = 0.197.
The finding that narrative reading is as effective as narrative writing suggests that the readers appear to be able to comprehend and engage with the story being told. When narrative reading is as effective as narrative writing, it can succeed with reduced effort in increasing empathic concern, perspective-taking, and attitude. We discuss the benefits of this approach for reducing stigmatization of adverse health behavior.