Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ELIT (Empirical study of Literature Training Network)
Reporting period: 2022-03-01 to 2025-02-28
In Europe one in five people lacks adequate reading skills. Additionally, research shows that the amount of time spend reading is in decline and becoming more intermittent and fragmented. This is alarming, since recent empirical research shows that literary reading, by virtue of its appeal to first-person experience, yields unique cognitive and emotional benefits, such as enhancing the capacity for empathy, social inference, and emotional self-regulation. To arrive at a deeper understanding of how reading literature can lead to positive societal effects, more fundamental research is needed first. We need to clarify the (neuro)-cognitive processes that are crucial to literary reading in theoretical models. Model development should go hand in hand with the elaboration of novel empirical methods to test them. In addition, we need to investigate forms of narrative engagement and types of literary texts in which empathy plays an important role. Narrative engagement is an important contributor to reading enjoyment. Once these processes and literary experiences are mapped out, we can explore the effects of literary reading on mental well-being.
To address these questions, we established the Empirical Study of Literature Training Network (ELIT), a European doctoral program designed to train a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers. ELIT offers comprehensive, integrative training that combines theory with diverse empirical methods and engages with non-academic partners to explore how reading can meet societal needs.
To address these questions, we established the Empirical Study of Literature Training Network (ELIT), a European doctoral program designed to train a new generation of interdisciplinary researchers. ELIT offers comprehensive, integrative training that combines theory with diverse empirical methods and engages with non-academic partners to explore how reading can meet societal needs.
Between March 2020 and February 2021, the ELIT Network laid the foundations for the development of individual research projects and launched the first training activities for early stage researchers (ESRs). Following the Call for Applications, the training officially began on 1 October 2020 through regular meetings between ESRs and supervisors. These meetings focused on project development and key readings in empirical literary studies.From 1 December 2020 to 4 February 2021, the University of Verona hosted the first ELIT Training School, Literary Theory and Text Analysis, which was open to both ESRs and external PhD students. It featured seven expert lectures and a final workshop in which ESRs applied the skills learned to a chosen text. On 11 February 2021, a seminar on Research Ethics was held exclusively for ESRs, aimed at preparing them to draft ethics applications—an essential step, as all ELIT projects involve human participants through surveys and questionnaires.
Between 1 March 2022 and 28 February 2025, the ESRs, working across three Research Work Packages, developed their research projects in various fields, leading to the following results:
-WP1 developed an updated model of literary reading, integrating immersive and aesthetic processing, and found that textual features, reader disposition, and context shape engagement, while comparing digital and paper reading shows medium-specific effects on comprehension and aesthetic involvement;
-WP2 investigated how narrative empathy functions in literary reading, focusing on the role of character morality, literary style, and reader engagement, while exploring the potential social impact of these factors;
-WP3 examined how literary reading enhances mental well-being and identified strategies like narrative coping programs, shared reading, and picture book interventions to promote these benefits.
Meanwhile, the ELIT training (WP4) organized a series of workshops for ESRs aiming to broaden their research context, helping them identify gaps, adopt suitable methodologies, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to enrich their academic development and build connections within the research community.
WP5 enhanced the visibility of the ELIT network, fostering collaboration and networking among ESRs. Key results include the development of the ELIT website, continuous social media activity, ESR-led thematic seminars, and participation in international conferences. A total of 18 articles were published in peer-reviewed journals, and two final events were organized to disseminate findings. The strategies increased engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and involvement of non-academic stakeholders.
In line with the EU's Open Research Data policy, the project developed a Data Management Plan (DMP), and while many datasets have been made publicly accessible, others are temporarily restricted until academic processes are completed.
The ELIT programme has successfully enhanced ESRs' employability,as almost all of the ELIT ESRs have secured postdoctoral positions, while others work in the instructions sector.
Between 1 March 2022 and 28 February 2025, the ESRs, working across three Research Work Packages, developed their research projects in various fields, leading to the following results:
-WP1 developed an updated model of literary reading, integrating immersive and aesthetic processing, and found that textual features, reader disposition, and context shape engagement, while comparing digital and paper reading shows medium-specific effects on comprehension and aesthetic involvement;
-WP2 investigated how narrative empathy functions in literary reading, focusing on the role of character morality, literary style, and reader engagement, while exploring the potential social impact of these factors;
-WP3 examined how literary reading enhances mental well-being and identified strategies like narrative coping programs, shared reading, and picture book interventions to promote these benefits.
Meanwhile, the ELIT training (WP4) organized a series of workshops for ESRs aiming to broaden their research context, helping them identify gaps, adopt suitable methodologies, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to enrich their academic development and build connections within the research community.
WP5 enhanced the visibility of the ELIT network, fostering collaboration and networking among ESRs. Key results include the development of the ELIT website, continuous social media activity, ESR-led thematic seminars, and participation in international conferences. A total of 18 articles were published in peer-reviewed journals, and two final events were organized to disseminate findings. The strategies increased engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and involvement of non-academic stakeholders.
In line with the EU's Open Research Data policy, the project developed a Data Management Plan (DMP), and while many datasets have been made publicly accessible, others are temporarily restricted until academic processes are completed.
The ELIT programme has successfully enhanced ESRs' employability,as almost all of the ELIT ESRs have secured postdoctoral positions, while others work in the instructions sector.
The ELIT programme bridged the gap between the humanities and cognitive sciences by successfully integrating methods from both fields. While communication between them had traditionally been one-sided (from cognitive sciences to the humanities), ELIT highlighted the humanities' potential to offer unique insights into the cognitive processes and societal impact of literary reading. This interdisciplinary approach resulted in a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying literary reading and informed the development of educational policies and the design of digital reading devices. The programme prepared early stage researchers (ESRs) to tackle emerging challenges in empirical literary studies, including the use of advanced research technologies (e.g. eye tracking) and the growing role of digitalization. Collaboration with non-academic partners—such as literacy organizations, education policymakers, and publishers—ensured that the research remained socially relevant and accessible.
ELIT also had a lasting impact on doctoral training across Europe by:
-Promoting co-tutelle agreements and long-term collaboration among graduate schools.
-Serving as a model for interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral teaching practices.
-Strengthening ties between academic institutions through secondments and networking.
-Involving industrial partners in all aspects of training and supervision to foster academic-industry collaboration.
-Establishing a sustainable network for joint teaching, workshops, and conferences.
-Enhancing cross-sectoral collaboration in areas such as teacher training and bibliotherapy.
-Preparing ESRs to become future leaders in both academic and non-academic settings, capable of mentoring and developing training programmes themselves.
ELIT also had a lasting impact on doctoral training across Europe by:
-Promoting co-tutelle agreements and long-term collaboration among graduate schools.
-Serving as a model for interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral teaching practices.
-Strengthening ties between academic institutions through secondments and networking.
-Involving industrial partners in all aspects of training and supervision to foster academic-industry collaboration.
-Establishing a sustainable network for joint teaching, workshops, and conferences.
-Enhancing cross-sectoral collaboration in areas such as teacher training and bibliotherapy.
-Preparing ESRs to become future leaders in both academic and non-academic settings, capable of mentoring and developing training programmes themselves.