A field experiment generated random variation in access to fiction for youth living in villages in southwestern Burkina Faso to test whether reading fiction affects economic preferences. There were few differences in trust, contribution to public goods, risk, and patience between those participating in the reading program and the control group. The results run counter to a supposition that reading fiction would have significant effects on the preferences of readers. Advocates of reading fiction have argued that readers develop empathy, perspective taking, and theory of mind. The null results presented here suggest the relevance of more research on this subject.

中文翻译：

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布基纳法索农村青年的小说阅读与经济偏好

一项实地实验产生了居住在布基纳法索西南部村庄的年轻人阅读小说的随机变化，以测试阅读小说是否影响经济偏好。参与阅读计划的人和对照组的人在信任、对公共物品的贡献、风险和耐心方面几乎没有差异。结果与阅读小说会对读者的偏好产生显着影响的假设背道而驰。阅读小说的拥护者认为，读者会发展同理心、观点采择和心理理论。此处显示的无效结果表明对该主题进行更多研究的相关性。