The Correlation between Enjoying Fictional Narratives and Empathy in Japanese Hikikomori [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
Background: Hikikomori is a Japanese social withdrawal phenomenon which, in recent years, is spreading in western developed countries as well. Spending a lot of time secluded indoors, watching and playing with fictional narratives may be relatively common for Hikikomori people and may represent a pr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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F1000 Research Ltd
2022-01-01
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| Series: | F1000Research |
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| Online Access: | https://f1000research.com/articles/10-776/v2 |
| _version_ | 1818206443413700608 |
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| author | Francesco Panto Tamaki Saito Nobuaki Morita Yasukazu Ogai |
| author_facet | Francesco Panto Tamaki Saito Nobuaki Morita Yasukazu Ogai |
| author_sort | Francesco Panto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Hikikomori is a Japanese social withdrawal phenomenon which, in recent years, is spreading in western developed countries as well. Spending a lot of time secluded indoors, watching and playing with fictional narratives may be relatively common for Hikikomori people and may represent a protective factor for their psychological well-being. Method: We evaluated the role of enjoying fictional narratives on empathy, relaxation, depression, and anxiety in people with Hikikomori experience, in relation to their daily consumption of fictional narratives and their emotional transportation toward fictional narratives. Hikikomori from one psychiatric clinic and three different support facilities were enrolled in this study. Multidimensional empathy scale, CES-D, STAI questionnaire, and relaxation inventory self-report scale were used as outcome measures. Results: We found a significant correlation between empathy and emotional transportation toward fictional narratives and between relaxation during watching and reading fictional narratives and consumption frequency of fictional narratives. We failed, however, to find any significant correlation with depression and anxiety. Conclusions: These findings suggest a possible correlation between fiction and empathy/relaxation response; however, any causal relationship is not proven, consequently we deem that further investigations with a larger sample size are required for a better understanding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T04:13:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-acc73e2153ac4d54861e0d2d03b5431e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2046-1402 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T04:13:06Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | F1000Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-acc73e2153ac4d54861e0d2d03b5431e2022-12-22T00:38:34ZengF1000 Research LtdF1000Research2046-14022022-01-0110116159The Correlation between Enjoying Fictional Narratives and Empathy in Japanese Hikikomori [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]Francesco Panto0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7088-5356Tamaki Saito1Nobuaki Morita2Yasukazu Ogai3Social Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Tsukuba , Faculty of Medicine, Tsukuba, Japan, 3058577, JapanSocial Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Tsukuba , Faculty of Medicine, Tsukuba, Japan, 3058577, JapanSocial Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Tsukuba , Faculty of Medicine, Tsukuba, Japan, 3058577, JapanSocial Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Tsukuba , Faculty of Medicine, Tsukuba, Japan, 3058577, JapanBackground: Hikikomori is a Japanese social withdrawal phenomenon which, in recent years, is spreading in western developed countries as well. Spending a lot of time secluded indoors, watching and playing with fictional narratives may be relatively common for Hikikomori people and may represent a protective factor for their psychological well-being. Method: We evaluated the role of enjoying fictional narratives on empathy, relaxation, depression, and anxiety in people with Hikikomori experience, in relation to their daily consumption of fictional narratives and their emotional transportation toward fictional narratives. Hikikomori from one psychiatric clinic and three different support facilities were enrolled in this study. Multidimensional empathy scale, CES-D, STAI questionnaire, and relaxation inventory self-report scale were used as outcome measures. Results: We found a significant correlation between empathy and emotional transportation toward fictional narratives and between relaxation during watching and reading fictional narratives and consumption frequency of fictional narratives. We failed, however, to find any significant correlation with depression and anxiety. Conclusions: These findings suggest a possible correlation between fiction and empathy/relaxation response; however, any causal relationship is not proven, consequently we deem that further investigations with a larger sample size are required for a better understanding.https://f1000research.com/articles/10-776/v2Hikikomori Social withdrawal Emotional transportation Empathy narrative therapyeng |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Panto Tamaki Saito Nobuaki Morita Yasukazu Ogai The Correlation between Enjoying Fictional Narratives and Empathy in Japanese Hikikomori [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] F1000Research Hikikomori Social withdrawal Emotional transportation Empathy narrative therapy eng |
| title | The Correlation between Enjoying Fictional Narratives and Empathy in Japanese Hikikomori [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_full | The Correlation between Enjoying Fictional Narratives and Empathy in Japanese Hikikomori [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_fullStr | The Correlation between Enjoying Fictional Narratives and Empathy in Japanese Hikikomori [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Correlation between Enjoying Fictional Narratives and Empathy in Japanese Hikikomori [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_short | The Correlation between Enjoying Fictional Narratives and Empathy in Japanese Hikikomori [version 2; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_sort | correlation between enjoying fictional narratives and empathy in japanese hikikomori version 2 peer review 2 approved |
| topic | Hikikomori Social withdrawal Emotional transportation Empathy narrative therapy eng |
| url | https://f1000research.com/articles/10-776/v2 |
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