Question: for people who spend more time engaged in the fictional world, would you say it may be due to being an introvert or is there a more psychological explanation ?

Rose Turner answered on 11 Jun 2017:

Great question! There do seem to be certain personality traits that make people more likely to enjoy fiction. For example, people who have active imaginations and daydream a lot often enjoy fictional stories.

There was some research a few years ago that found out that people who have read a lot of fictional books tend to have better social skills than people who have read a lot of factual books. The researchers thought this was because when people read about fiction they read about characters and their interactions, and so it’s like a substitute for being out in the real world interacting with real people. So even if you are shy or an introvert, reading about fictional characters might strengthen your social skills.

Also, there are lots of different ways that people engage with fiction – like reading, watching TV, playing video games or seeing plays. Some are more sociable than others, so may be suited to outgoing extraverted people. I think both introverts and extraverts are drawn to fiction, but maybe their personalities make them enjoy some media, and some stories, more than others.

Thanks for a great question!