# Limitations and Future Directions

## 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.