BIBLIOTHERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE SHORT STORY GENRES ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION, EMPATHY, AND STRESS REDUCTION AMONG PAKISTANI UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: A PRE-POST INTERVENTION STUDY

Abstract

This empirical analysis explores the psychological implications of reading short stories in undergraduate scholars pursuing undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Science, English, Psychology and Educational Psychology in Hamdard University. The study adopts a pre-post quantitative design of intervention, which examines how the reading of four carefully selected short stories — The Diamond Necklace (Guy de Maupassant), The Gift of the Magi (O. Henry), The Lottery (Shirley Jackson), and The Story of an Hour (Kate Chopin) — changes affective reactions, psychological health, and cognitive processes of the learners. Fifty volunteers were chosen to conduct a stratified random sample, which were administered questionnaires both pre and post-exposure to the narrative. Analytic findings indicate statistically significant positive psychological changes, such as improved emotional processing (34 percent of participants citing experiencing moderate emotional growth, 25 percent citing experiencing intense affective arousal), strong character identification (ranging between mild and strong connection), and significant changes in overall psychological health. Most of the respondents (76 %) rated positive well-being improvements as a result of salutary gains, whereas 88% of the respondents recorded reduced levels of stress after engaging in narratives. These results support therapeutic value of bibliotherapy through short story reading as an effective stress reduction and emotion control intervention among college students. The study therefore adds value to the growing body of research on therapeutic reading activities in education settings and provides empirical evidence on the feasibility of incorporating literary reading into curriculum of student wellness.