Abstract

College students who create a habit of reading are subject to improvement in their verbal, written, and communication skills, increased empathy, as well as a potential low-cost solution to recovery from mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. The habit of reading has been hindered by the introduction of technology and digitalization and their overshadowed presence draws students from picking up a book to immerse themselves in it. With college students’ growing numbers reporting being symptomatic of mental health disorders, the practice of bibliotherapy and utilizing recreational reading has proven to be beneficial offering a healthy solution.

This research utilized both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative methods were executed in the form of surveys and interviews. Questions were focused on participant response to how reading fiction made them feel and what kind of genres they mostly read. The surveys and interviews also held quantified data: the participants were asked to give how much time they spent reading school materials and fictional books. Overall, this study was conducted to see if the results would support the hypothesis that reading fiction has a positive impact on college students. Reading fiction positively impacts students based on expanding their critical thinking skills, finding new ways to cope with mental health, and not losing themselves in the digitization of social media and smartphones.

Semester/Year of Award

Fall 2024

Mentor

Lisa Bosley

Mentor Department Affiliation

English

Access Options

Restricted Access Thesis

Document Type

Bachelor Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelors

Department

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