@mastersthesis{bal2025literary,
  author = {Bal, Onur},
  title = {Literary Work Readership and Its Relationship with Mentalisation and Empathy},
  school = {Yeditepe University},
  year = {2025},
  type = {Master's thesis},
  url = {https://onurbal.com/en/academics/thesis/}
}

5.4. Limitations and Future Directions

Several limitations must be reported. First, literary exposure was assessed through a fixed canonical list in lieu of a validated scale such as the Author Recognition Test (ART). Second, the sample consisted of mainly female students from Yeditepe University studying for their Bachelor’s degree, which limits generalisability. Third, all of the instruments in the present study were self-report measures which could introduce biases, such as social desirability and common method variance. Finally, since a cross-sectional design was employed, no causal inferences can be made between the variables. Experimental or longitudinal studies are needed to determine directionality and mechanism of these associations.

Future studies should employ more comprehensive tools, such as a to-be-developed Turkish ART and include qualitative engagement metrics (e.g., transportation, identification, emotional resonance) to better capture fiction’s psychological impact (Green & Brock, 2000; Koopman, 2016). Furthermore, experimental manipulation of existential salience could also clarify existential concerns’ role regarding literary fiction’s socio-cognitive effects. Lastly, incorporating behavioural tasks or diary methods may reduce method bias and capture real-time shifts in mentalisation or empathy.