ABSTRACT
The idea that fictions influence beliefs is well established in philosophy, literary theory, behavioral science, public policy, and among laypeople. But is it true? In this chapter, we review the available studies that test the hypothesis that fiction affects beliefs. Overall, the empirical evidence suggests that there is no direct causal effect of fiction on beliefs. We propose an explanation for why the idea that fiction affects beliefs is widespread and seemingly intuitive, even if it is false.
