Reading 'Harry Potter' Actually Makes Kids Better People, Says Science

Jun 15, 2019 by apost team

Okay. Let's face it. Harry Potter has now become a multimedia cultural phenomenon. Science has shown those who are "Potter" fans are actually better people. They are more open-minded and less likely to demonstrate signs of prejudice.

The results of this study appeared in a paper published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. The study included groups of students from Italy and the UK.

The students who identified best with the character Harry Potter himself showed improved attitudes towards those in stigmatized groups, such as refugees, immigrants, or those in the LGBTQ community.

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The study involved three sets of students.

A group of 34 fifth-graders from Italy participated by filling out a questionnaire about immigrants. Then, they split into two groups, one focusing on passages in the book that dealt with prejudice and bigotry, the other focusing on more neutral passages. The first group showed better attitudes towards immigrants.

A group of 117 high school students from Italy were asked for their opinion on homosexuality. Then, in a separate quiz, they were asked how many books in the series they had read and how they identified with Harry. Those who identified with Harry were more likely to have a positive perception of LGBTQ people and to demonstrate empathy.

A group of college students in the UK showed that adults tended to show more hatred towards Voldemort than loving Harry. The group showed that those who disidentify with Voldemort, tended to have better attitudes towards immigrants.

J.K. Rowling clearly discussed issues that relate to issues we face as a society every day. Those parallels are both good and bad.

A good example is Voldemort's focus on "pure-blood" wizards. One may speculate that this is similar to the system used by Nazis to classify Jewish people by bloodlines to justify genocide. Also, in Harry Potter's world, wealthy families own house elves who are bound to obey their masters, only until they gain freedom.

The use of the word "Mudblood" as a derogatory term for those of non-wizarding families is another example. It's often used by followers of Voldemort. It parallels the use of slurs against racial, ethnic, and religious groups in the real world.

The books demonstrate how Harry, Ron, Hermione, and other characters respond to hatred and prejudice. These passages offer valuable lessons for younger readers. They emphasize treating other species as equals and rejecting slurs such as Mudblood. These are just a few examples of how the books teach children that bigotry and discrimination is wrong and even dangerous.

If you know of someone who could use a push toward becoming a better person, maybe it's a good idea to get them their own set of "Harry Potter" books. It's a good start on getting them down the right path.

Do you think identifying with Harry Potter is a positive thing? Let us know your thoughts below. Also, pass this along to others who might meed to start identifying with Harry.