Social cognition (AQ S-C-I) partially mediates the relationship between supernaturalness ratings and left sensorimotor activation during supernatural reading¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? AQ (average of social skills, communication and imagination subscales) partially mediates the relationship between supernaturalness ratings and brain activation in the left preCG, with the direct effect remaining significant after controlling for AQ. → Xiaodong Xu 2025 q2 i? Each of the imagination, social skills and communication subscales separately partially mediates the same relationship. → Xiaodong Xu 2025 (2)

Evidence¶

Xiaodong Xu 2025¶

Xiaodong Xu, Cheng Jia, Kang Chen & Lijuan Chen. (2025). Unveiling the neural mechanisms of supernatural fiction comprehension using fNIRS. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00327-0

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Trial-level regression-based mediation analysis on fNIRS data (left preCG, CH2) using the AQ social-cognition subscales (S-C-I). Paths a, b and c were also significant; e.g. path c: β = 0.029, t(2560) = 3.92.

"when controlling for AQ, there was also a significant correlation between supernatural ratings and brain acti- vation (path c’: β = 0.024, t(2559) = 3.24, pFDR = 0.037, praw =0 . 0 0 1 ) , s u g- gesting that AQ partially mediates the relationship between supernatural reading and brain activation in the left sensorimotor cortex"

Xiaodong Xu 2025 (2)¶

Xiaodong Xu, Cheng Jia, Kang Chen & Lijuan Chen. (2025). Unveiling the neural mechanisms of supernatural fiction comprehension using fNIRS. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00327-0

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Follow-up trial-level mediation analyses using each AQ subscale separately, all showing significant path c' with significant a and b paths (e.g. imagination path b: β = −0.12, t(2559) = −14.21). The same pattern held "forimagination, social skills,a n dcommunication".

"when the AQ subscales were used in the mediation analysis instead of the overall S-C-I score, the same pattern of results was observed forimagination, social skills,a n dcommunication"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Supernaturalness ratings correlate positively, but very weakly, with the SR-vs-SF activation difference in the left postcentral gyrus — related
• Readers highly familiar with Harry Potter rate all scenarios as more supernatural than low-familiarity readers — related