Science fiction may help foster a sense of global solidarity by evoking awe, study finds

Science fiction may be more than just entertainment. New research suggests that regularly engaging with science fiction—whether through films, books, or other media—can help people feel a stronger connection to humanity as a whole. The researchers found that science fiction’s ability to evoke awe, a powerful emotion triggered by vast and novel experiences, plays a key role in this effect. Across three studies conducted in China, they showed that exposure to science fiction narratives increases people’s identification with all humanity, and that repeated engagement with the genre can promote this identification over time.

The research, published in Communication Research, was motivated by growing interest in the social and psychological effects of media. While past work has shown that certain kinds of narratives can promote empathy or reduce prejudice, much of that research has focused on specific storylines or emotional appeals. The authors of this study wanted to understand whether entire genres, like science fiction, might influence social attitudes in a more systematic way—and whether they could do so through emotional experiences that go beyond simple moral lessons or character-driven empathy.

In particular, the researchers focused on a concept called “identification with all humanity.” This refers to how much individuals feel connected to all people, regardless of nationality, race, or background. It reflects a broad, inclusive identity that supports concern for others around the globe. Previous studies have linked this identification to prosocial behaviors such as donating to international causes, supporting refugees, and caring about the environment. The authors theorized that science fiction, with its imaginative worlds and frequent focus on humanity’s shared future, might encourage people to adopt this global perspective.

To test their ideas, the researchers conducted three studies. In the first, they recruited 1,060 adults from across China and asked them to recall how different genres of film made them feel. Participants were randomly assigned to reflect on one of 12 genres, including science fiction, romance, comedy, action-adventure, and documentary. They were then asked how strongly those films had made them feel emotions associated with self-transcendence—emotions that make people feel connected to something larger than themselves. These included awe, gratitude, compassion, admiration, hope, and others.

Science fiction stood out. Compared to all other genres, it was most strongly associated with awe. Participants reported higher levels of awe while watching science fiction than when recalling any other type of film. Importantly, this pattern was not observed for the other self-transcendent emotions, suggesting that awe was a uniquely strong response to science fiction. This finding laid the groundwork for the next two studies, which tested whether awe could explain how science fiction influences identification with all humanity.

In the second study, the researchers conducted two controlled experiments with a combined sample of nearly 1,000 participants. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of three short stories: a science fiction narrative, a realistic narrative covering the same theme, or no narrative at all. For example, one experiment used a story about people fleeing an existential threat—either an asteroid (science fiction) or a wildfire (realistic). Another experiment used a story about futuristic versus contemporary cities.

After reading, participants reported their emotional responses and how connected they felt to humanity. Across both experiments, those who read the science fiction stories felt significantly more awe than those in the other groups. They also reported higher levels of identification with all humanity. Statistical analyses showed that the increase in awe explained the increase in global identification—meaning awe served as a mediator. Even when controlling for other emotions, such as hope or compassion, awe remained the most consistent emotional pathway connecting science fiction to global identification.

The third study looked at longer-term effects. The researchers recruited 543 college students for a three-wave panel study conducted over two months. At each time point, students reported how much science fiction they had engaged with recently, how often they had experienced awe in daily life, and how strongly they identified with humanity as a whole.

The results showed that cumulative engagement with science fiction predicted increases in everyday awe, which in turn predicted increases in identification with all humanity. In other words, the more participants immersed themselves in science fiction over time, the more likely they were to experience awe in their daily lives—and this helped build a stronger global identity.

This final study also revealed a reciprocal relationship: participants who already identified strongly with humanity tended to seek out more science fiction content in the following month. This suggests a feedback loop where people who value global unity may gravitate toward media that reinforces this mindset, which in turn strengthens their identification even more.

The researchers acknowledged some limitations. The first study relied on participants’ memories of past films, which may have been shaped by general impressions of genre rather than specific emotional reactions. The experiments used short written narratives rather than full-length films or other immersive media, which might influence the intensity of emotional responses. And although the findings were consistent across studies, all participants were from China—a country with strong collectivist cultural values—so future research in other cultural settings would help test the generalizability of the results.

Additionally, the authors emphasized that science fiction is not the only genre capable of promoting identification with all humanity. For instance, drama or romance may foster global concern through emotions like compassion or love. However, science fiction appears to foster this identification in a distinctive way—by expanding the mind and inspiring a sense of wonder at humanity’s place in the universe.

The study, “Entertainment for Cosmopolitism: Science Fiction Fosters Identification With All Humanity via Awe,” was authored by Fuzhong Wu and Zheng Zhang.