Dartmouth Events

Title: A lasting influence of stories on spontaneous thought

Abstract:

Whether it be in the form of a novel, a movie, or a vivid anecdote from a conversation, stories have an ability to transport us into alternate worlds. Not only does this immersive quality characterize how we engage with stories as they unfold (e.g., while reading, listening or watching), stories often continue to linger in our minds after they end, acting as a persistent mental context constraining our spontaneous thoughts. However, we know very little about the lasting influence of narratives beyond self-report. If narratives are associated with a persistent cognitive state, how can we measure it in the laboratory? What are its cognitive properties? What are its consequences? To this end, I will present the results of a series of experiments using a free association paradigm in conjunction with techniques from natural language processing to characterize how stories can have a lasting influence on spontaneous thought.