The Impact of Reading Illustrated Lithographic Novels from the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries on Readers' Mental Health and Emotion Regulation: A Reception Psychology Study
Yulin Yang, Shu LiAbstract
Objective
This study examines how the shift from lead-type to photolithographic printing affected readers' mental health and emotion regulation. It investigates how enhanced perceptual fluency and narrative transportation reduce reading-related anxiety, counter depressive rumination, and promote emotional well-being through aesthetic absorption, establishing a framework for understanding print technology as a determinant of psychological outcomes.
Subjects and Methods
This study employs cognitive and aesthetic psychology frameworks—dual-coding theory, picture-superiority effect, processing fluency, mental imagery, and narrative transportation. Psychiatric mechanisms analyzed include: processing fluency reducing cognitive load and anxiety; mental imagery facilitating emotion regulation and countering rumination; narrative transportation inducing flow reducing stress; and aesthetic absorption promoting positive affect.
Results
Photolithography enhanced perceptual fluency and reducing cognitive strain—associated with lower reading anxiety. Superior illustration clarity facilitated mental imagery, enabling emotion regulation. Immersive transportation induced flow, reducing perceived stress and rumination. Lower production costs expanded access—a protective factor against depression. The consolidation of "lithographic illustration" as market standard enhanced emotional absorption and well-being.
Conclusions
The printing revolution initiated a visual transformation with measurable mental health implications—reducing reading-related anxiety through enhanced fluency, facilitating emotion regulation through imagery, and promoting well-being through immersive transportation. These findings inform bibliotherapy interventions, suggesting print quality and illustration clarity moderate therapeutic efficacy. Future research should examine relationships between print technology features and mental health outcomes in reading-based interventions.
Corresponding Author
Shu Li, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong, China