The Way We Get By: How Narrative Engagement with Young Adult Literature Influences Perceptions of Anorexia Nervosa

Narratives have been shown to alter health beliefs through a process called narrative engagement, which includes mechanisms of transportation, identification, and self-referencing; however, this process has yet to be empirically investigated for how increasingly popular young adult (YA) illness literature impact health beliefs among emerging adults. Using an experimental design, this project found that YA illness literature fosters narrative engagement, which lead to more endorsement of prosocial beliefs as articulated in a narrative compared to an informational brochure. The narratives were more relevant when a “supportive peer” main character was featured, as opposed to a main character experiencing the illness herself. The results suggest that narratives may be viable tools to educate individuals serving in an illness support role.Master of Art