Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness

 This study examined the predictive role of fiction reading and emotional intelligence (EI) on empathy, with mindfulness as a mediator. A sample of 300 participants (60% female; *M* age = 20.3 years) completed validated scales: Fiction Reading Frequency (1–5), Wong and Law’s EI Scale (30–150), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (15–90), and the Jefferson Empathy Scale (20–100). Path analysis was conducted using PROCESS Macro (Model 4) with 5,000 bootstrap samples. Both fiction reading (β = .32, *p* < .001) and EI (β = .42, *p* < .001) directly predicted empathy. Mindfulness partially mediated these relationships: - Fiction reading → Mindfulness → Empathy: β indirect = .10, 95% CI [.04, .16] - EI → Mindfulness → Empathy: β indirect = .17, 95% CI [.10, .25] The full model explained 58% of empathy variance (*R*² = .58). Significant correlations emerged between all variables (*r* = .32–.67, *p* < .01). Fiction reading and EI enhance empathy both directly and indirectly *via* mindfulness. This underscores mindfulness as a mechanism for translating cognitive-emotional skills into empathic capacities. Recommendations include integrating fiction-based modules into empathy training programs.