Memory, Mystery and Coherence: Does the Presence of 2-3 Counterintuitive Concepts Predict Cultural Success of a Narrative?

TitleMemory, Mystery and Coherence: Does the Presence of 2-3 Counterintuitive Concepts Predict Cultural Success of a Narrative?
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsM. Afzal Upal
JournalJournal of Cognition & Culture
Volume11
Issue1/2
Pagination23-48
ISSN15677095
Call Number60461581
Abstract

This article reports an investigation involving a series of studies carried out to critically examine the hypothesis that presence of 2 or 3 minimally counterintuitive concepts in a story makes it more memorable than stories containing fewer or more of such concepts. The results paint a more complicated picture involving a number of interacting factors with contribution of the counterintuitive concepts to the global story cohesion emerging as a key mediating factor. It was found that addition of counterintuitive concepts only makes stories more memorable if those concepts contribute to the global cohesion of the overall story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Cognition & Culture is the property of Brill Academic Publishers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

DOI10.1163/156853711X568671
Short TitleMemory, Mystery and Coherence