Fictional characters influence real life decisions

A recent study demonstrates the power of fiction: a series of experiments showed that reading fiction can affect our real-life decisions:
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/exptaking.htm
Lisa Libby, the interviewed co-author of the study, suggests that these effects are especially powerful because they are not conscious, which makes sense – we are not aware that we’re being influenced and therefore don’t resist. Although that may sound a little scary, I would think that fiction usually influences us in positive ways, in particular by opening our minds to the perspectives of others. Any thoughts or opinions?