It is not uncommon for people to open a book and escape into a world of fantasy, romance or science fiction. However, new research has revealed that what these individuals read may have a bigger impact on their lives than they realize.

Researchers from Dartmouth College and Ohio State University worked with around 500 volunteers to see just how much the characters in the books they were reading influenced their personalities, The Daily Mail reported. The results of this study, which appear in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, show that some readers end up subconsciously adopting the beliefs of fictional characters.

For instance, in one test, the researchers found that study participants who identified with a character that overcomes obstacles to vote were more likely to cast a ballot in an actual election a few days later, according to the news source. This was not true of volunteers who were not reading the same story.

"If you’ve got a deep connection with the characters, it can have a lasting impact," said Geoff Kaufman, the study’s co-author, as quoted by MSNBC's The Body Odd. "It can inspire you to re-read something. And then the impact can be strengthened over time."

As a result, people who consider themselves to be bookworms may want to take a personality test to see what impact, if any, their reading has had on them.