ARTICLE Connecting the dots between fantasy and reality: The social psychology of our engagement with fictional narrative and its functional value Karen E. Dill‐Shackleford | Cynthia Vinney | Kristin Hopper‐Losenicky Fielding Graduate University Correspondence Karen Dill‐Shackleford, Psychology, Fielding Graduate University. Email: kshack@fielding.edu Abstract This essay provides an overview of research and theory on narrative and its important, functional role in human experience, including the ways people use media to interrogate their own beliefs and feelings, and derive social meaning. Thought‐provoking film, television, and books can help us make meaning of our lives and grow in ways that are important for our successful social functioning. Research reviewed here demonstrates that exposure to fiction can increase empathy and social skills and reduce prejudice. Our connection to characters and stories has been studied in various ways as extensions of the self into another, while at the same time bringing the other into the self. Bringing together disparate perspectives, we propose that connecting to story worlds involves a process of “dual empathy”—simultaneously engaging in intense personal processing while also “feeling through” characters, both of which produce benefits. Because the value of entertainment narratives may not always be well understood, we explain how those experiences can be personal, social, and can serve important adaptive functions. KEYWORDS emotion, engagement, fiction, film, identification, meaning, narrative, psychological well‐being, simulation, story, television 1 | INTRODUCTION There is a mystery about everyday life in Western societies that scholars are just beginning to unravel. In most public spaces, you will notice that people are often looking at, interacting with, and focusing on screens. Smartphones' screens are often preferred for their pocket‐sized portability, but others abound, including those of tablets, computers, televisions, movie theaters, and even wearables like smartwatches. All those screens are used in many ways, from pleasure seeking to information gathering, to communication. When people use their screens to watch or read fictional narratives, though, something interesting happens. When immersed in the stories of fictional Received: 7 January 2016 Revised: 3 August 2016 Accepted: 6 August 2016 DOI 10.1111/spc3.12274 634 © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2016; 10: 634–646 wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/spc3