Who gets transported by stories? Demographic, cultural, and economic predictors of narrative transportability across 46 countries

Citation

Malecki W, Malecki W, Green M, Kowal M, Misiak M, Roberts C, Sorokowska A & Sorokowski P (2026) Who gets transported by stories? Demographic, cultural, and economic predictors of narrative transportability across 46 countries.

Abstract
Narrative transportability is an individual difference in the extent to which a person becomes immersed in stories, and an important predictor of narrative influence. This study examined the predictors of narrative transportability, based on social stratification theory, social role theory, and cultural evolutionary theory, in 8,105 participants across 17 language groups, including 46 countries and one territory. Multilevel models revealed that women, urban residents, individuals with higher self-reported socioeconomic status and education, and those higher in collectivism and religiosity reported greater transportability, whereas older participants and those living in wealthier countries reported lower transportability. These patterns generally held across four dimensions of transportability, with gender and collectivism emerging as the most robust correlates (and age and education the weakest). These findings offer one of the most extensive cross-cultural examinations to date of the demographic and cultural foundations of narrative immersion, advancing theoretical understanding of how people engage with stories worldwide.