Navigating from Textual Realm to Social Realities: Narrative Immersion as a Catalyst for Social Cognitive Change

This paper synthesizes cognitive poetics and social psychology to propose a socio-cognitive model of narrative influence. It argues that narrative immersion, or "transportation," is the primary mechanism through which fiction modifies a reader's social schemas and attitudes. The model outlines a three-phase process: deictic shift and schema suspension, empathetic simulation, and attitude realignment. By examining how linguistic cues build immersive "text worlds," this paper explains how fiction can bypass cognitive resistance to foster cultural empathy and influence social cognition, demonstrating narrative's role as a tool for social-cognitive change.