Post by Richard on Oct 30, 2012 21:26:57 GMT -5
..some years ago in college.
"The Biological, Psychological, and Social Effects of Creative Writing and Reading"
Aristotle (c. 330 B.C.E.) compared the historian to the poet. The historian speaking of “what has been,” in contrast to the poet relating “something that can happen.” While both sources can be invaluable, in their own way, the narrative of fiction will be examined here; as both poetry and fiction are something created.
Oatley (2010) points to the fictional world as a place where people see possibilities and escape from the present. The writer directs this interaction by the environment he creates. In this way, writer and reader interact by the associating of thought, action, and feelings with the characters in the story and themselves. A broader, and thus better, understanding of self and others comes to pass. This, in turn, results in a therapeutic awareness of oneself. For the writer, it
is identified with his creation. For the reader, it is a process of association and coherence. The social impact crosses racial, national, and generational borders by “a kind of simulation that
enables us to enter social contexts that otherwise we would never know.” (Oatley 2010)
The bond of reader and writer is only as good as the material. The material must conform with identifiable details and maintain a plausible reality in which the reader desires to be lead through an imagined journey in which he devotes his time, effort, and emotions. If the writer is effective in his creation, both reader and writer form an extricable bond due to the shared experience and association with the story’s protagonist. For example, consider the writings easily recalled to mind from one’s youth such as: Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and Jill, or even the Three Little Pigs.
Biologically, this effect, on the reader, can be shown through neural reactions. This was demonstrated by Speer, Reynolds, Swallow, and Zacks, (2009) when they conducted Neuro-imaging studies which have provided data on brain functions and stimulus during fMRI scanning. When reading about actions, areas of the brain associated with performing those same actions were stimulated.
Different actions impacted different parts of the brain. The brain’s
mirror neurons “fire when performing certain actions or observing another doing so.” (Myers 2008) This can involve both physical reflex and empathy based on emotional response. Other fMRI scanning, conducted by Summerfield, Hassabis, & Maguire, (2010), showed that a “maximum vividness and the activation of several areas of the core network of the brain” needed three elements, to be present, to achieve the most effect. More than three, showed no noticeable increase. The change happens when someone reads, “he ate a hamburger” compared to “he ate a large, juicy, char-grilled hamburger.” The interaction and impression is much greater with the additional descriptive expression.
Other research has shown the emotional stimulus involved in reading and word association. Lieberman, Eisenberger, Crockett, Tom, Pfeifer, Way, (2010) conducted a study where people were shown a picture of a “fearful” or “angry” face. Their amygdala showed increased activity in response. This effect was also present when administered subliminally.
When the word “angry” was attached to the picture, or image, the amygdala became less active, due to the labeling, while another region, the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, became more active. What this suggests is that “when thinking in words about your emotions—labeling emotions—that might be part of what the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex region is responsible for.” (Lieberman et al., 2010)
The wide availability and diversity of fictional narrative establishes the interest in such mental and emotional distraction. Strong characterization, relevant subject matter, and an emotional “hook,” can be a source of both entertainment and repose. Even a creator of comic book heroes, such as Stan Lee, has been able to have a perceptual relationship with millions of people from around the world. This clearly supports the diversity of the written narrative which spans cultural and language barriers.
The psychology of writing helps the writer understand both self and others better; as was alluded to earlier. The writer envelopes himself into the characters. He draws on personalities and perspectives from his environment and experiences. All of the characters cannot act the same, so opposing and even eclectic viewpoints have to be considered and presented appropriately for the exercise to be successful. The reader may empathize with the protagonist, and even react in a similar fashion as to what was penned. In doing so, he may receive solace in not being alone by association of a shared experience or a shared feeling. It can be both relaxing and entertaining when cognitive thought and neural function are stimulated as a reader becomes, in a sense, physiologically and emotionally involved in the narrative.
Fictional writing, and reading, allows the creative mind to expand and develop. The writer can be as absorbed and involved in the story as the reader. What a sense of satisfaction and mental exercise one achieves when creating a tangible something out of nothing but the imagination.
"The Biological, Psychological, and Social Effects of Creative Writing and Reading"
Aristotle (c. 330 B.C.E.) compared the historian to the poet. The historian speaking of “what has been,” in contrast to the poet relating “something that can happen.” While both sources can be invaluable, in their own way, the narrative of fiction will be examined here; as both poetry and fiction are something created.
Oatley (2010) points to the fictional world as a place where people see possibilities and escape from the present. The writer directs this interaction by the environment he creates. In this way, writer and reader interact by the associating of thought, action, and feelings with the characters in the story and themselves. A broader, and thus better, understanding of self and others comes to pass. This, in turn, results in a therapeutic awareness of oneself. For the writer, it
is identified with his creation. For the reader, it is a process of association and coherence. The social impact crosses racial, national, and generational borders by “a kind of simulation that
enables us to enter social contexts that otherwise we would never know.” (Oatley 2010)
The bond of reader and writer is only as good as the material. The material must conform with identifiable details and maintain a plausible reality in which the reader desires to be lead through an imagined journey in which he devotes his time, effort, and emotions. If the writer is effective in his creation, both reader and writer form an extricable bond due to the shared experience and association with the story’s protagonist. For example, consider the writings easily recalled to mind from one’s youth such as: Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and Jill, or even the Three Little Pigs.
Biologically, this effect, on the reader, can be shown through neural reactions. This was demonstrated by Speer, Reynolds, Swallow, and Zacks, (2009) when they conducted Neuro-imaging studies which have provided data on brain functions and stimulus during fMRI scanning. When reading about actions, areas of the brain associated with performing those same actions were stimulated.
Different actions impacted different parts of the brain. The brain’s
mirror neurons “fire when performing certain actions or observing another doing so.” (Myers 2008) This can involve both physical reflex and empathy based on emotional response. Other fMRI scanning, conducted by Summerfield, Hassabis, & Maguire, (2010), showed that a “maximum vividness and the activation of several areas of the core network of the brain” needed three elements, to be present, to achieve the most effect. More than three, showed no noticeable increase. The change happens when someone reads, “he ate a hamburger” compared to “he ate a large, juicy, char-grilled hamburger.” The interaction and impression is much greater with the additional descriptive expression.
Other research has shown the emotional stimulus involved in reading and word association. Lieberman, Eisenberger, Crockett, Tom, Pfeifer, Way, (2010) conducted a study where people were shown a picture of a “fearful” or “angry” face. Their amygdala showed increased activity in response. This effect was also present when administered subliminally.
When the word “angry” was attached to the picture, or image, the amygdala became less active, due to the labeling, while another region, the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, became more active. What this suggests is that “when thinking in words about your emotions—labeling emotions—that might be part of what the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex region is responsible for.” (Lieberman et al., 2010)
The wide availability and diversity of fictional narrative establishes the interest in such mental and emotional distraction. Strong characterization, relevant subject matter, and an emotional “hook,” can be a source of both entertainment and repose. Even a creator of comic book heroes, such as Stan Lee, has been able to have a perceptual relationship with millions of people from around the world. This clearly supports the diversity of the written narrative which spans cultural and language barriers.
The psychology of writing helps the writer understand both self and others better; as was alluded to earlier. The writer envelopes himself into the characters. He draws on personalities and perspectives from his environment and experiences. All of the characters cannot act the same, so opposing and even eclectic viewpoints have to be considered and presented appropriately for the exercise to be successful. The reader may empathize with the protagonist, and even react in a similar fashion as to what was penned. In doing so, he may receive solace in not being alone by association of a shared experience or a shared feeling. It can be both relaxing and entertaining when cognitive thought and neural function are stimulated as a reader becomes, in a sense, physiologically and emotionally involved in the narrative.
Fictional writing, and reading, allows the creative mind to expand and develop. The writer can be as absorbed and involved in the story as the reader. What a sense of satisfaction and mental exercise one achieves when creating a tangible something out of nothing but the imagination.
