How are stories constructed? // The things we buy, the decisions we make, how we spend our time— stories govern all these actions. But how are these stories constructed? Specifically, what have we learned about how our brains make sense of and integrate new information?
15. People assume that they perceive reality as
it is, that our senses accurately record the
outside world. Yet the science suggests that,
in important ways, people experience
reality not as it is, but as they expect it to be.
—Jonah Lehrer
http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2008/02/the_power_of_expectations.php
16. THE THINGS WE BUY,
THE DECISIONS WE MAKE,
HOW WE SPEND OUR TIME--
STORIES GOVERN ALL THESE ACTIONS.
17.
18. THE THINGS WE BUY,
THE DECISIONS WE MAKE,
HOW WE SPEND OUR TIME--
STORIES GOVERN ALL THESE ACTIONS.
19. THE THINGS WE BUY,
THE DECISIONS WE MAKE,
HOW WE SPEND OUR TIME--
STORIES WE CONSTRUCT
GOVERN ALL THESE ACTIONS.
30. “How much would you pay for
[a famous serial kil er]’s sweater?“
31. (In many states, home sellers are required
by law to disclose if a murder previously
took place in the house.)
32. brain scans confirmed
that people don't just
think the more expensive
(but identical) wine
tasted better—it actually
really did taste better…
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainstorm/200803/is-5000-prostitute-worth-the-price
34. Vermeer
...or Han van Meegeren?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren
35. GUIDE BEHAVIOR IN
EVERY MOMENT
FRAME HOW WE
FRAME HOW WE
SEE THE PAST NARRATIVES SEE OURSELVES
IN THE FUTURE
GUIDE BEHAVIOR IN
EVERY MOMENT
36. DIRECT EXPERIENCES
SOMATIC
MOOD/AFFECT MARKERS
SOCIAL PROOF
SELF-IMAGE NARRATIVES EXPECTATIONS
PHYSICAL
KNOWLEDGE ASSOCIATIONS
FRAMING
MEMORIES
ASSOCIATED
METAPHORS
37. THE THINGS WE BUY,
THE DECISIONS WE MAKE,
HOW WE SPEND OUR TIME--
STORIES WE CONSTRUCT
GOVERN ALL THESE ACTIONS.
HOW ARE THESE STORIES CONSTRUCTED?
76. a person reads a list of words including
the word table...
later: “complete a word starting with tab”
(probability that subject answers table is
higher than for non-primed people.)
81. Ready for the freaky stuff?
literal-metaphorical confusions
82. Volunteers would meet one of the experimenters,
believing that they would be starting the experiment
shortly. In reality, the experiment began when the
experimenter, seemingly struggling with an armful of
folders, asks the volunteer to briefly hold their coffee.
As the key experimental manipulation, the coffee was
either hot or iced. Subjects then read a description of
some individual...
Students who had recently been
cradling the warm beverage were
far likelier to judge the fictitious
character as warm and friendly
than were those who had held the
iced coffee.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/this-is-your-brain-on-metaphors/
83. Subjects either did or didn’t read an article
about the health risks of airborne bacteria. All
then read a history article that used imagery of
a nation as a living organism with statements
like, “Following the Civil War, the United
States underwent a growth spurt.”
Those who read about scary
bacteria before thinking about the
U.S. as an organism were then
more likely to express negative
views about immigration.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/this-is-your-brain-on-metaphors/
84. Volunteers were asked to evaluate
the resumes of supposed job
applicants where, as the critical
variable, the resume was attached
to a clipboard of one of two
different weights.
Subjects who evaluated the candidate while
holding the heavier clipboard tended to judge
candidates to be more serious, with the
weight of the clipboard having no effect on
how congenial the applicant was judged.
After all, we say things like “weighty
matter” or “gravity of a situation.”
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/this-is-your-brain-on-metaphors/
95. COMPANY
SPACE
communications layer
presentation
layer
The ‘thing’
itself
perceptions
PERSONAL
SPACE
96.
97. COMPANY
SPACE EM
PH
AS
S IS ON IS O
EMPHA BR
AND N
ECT communications layer BUI
DIR G LD
AGIN ING
M ESS
presentation
layer
TRANSACTIONAL The ‘thing’
itself
ENGAGING
perceptions
AP
PE
TO AL
RE S TO
AS A LS
ON PE S
AP T ION
E MO
PERSONAL
SPACE
98.
99. COMPANY
SPACE EM
PH
AS
S IS ON IS O
EMPHA BR
AND N
ECT communications layer BUI
DIR G LD
AGIN ING
M ESS
presentation
layer
The ‘thing’
itself
RATIONAL EMOTIONAL
perceptions
AP
PE
TO AL
RE S TO
AS A LS
ON PE S
AP T ION
E MO
PERSONAL
SPACE
102. WE SEEK TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD THROUGH COHERENT STORIES.
STORIES ARE IN OUR HEADS AND CHANGING ALL THE TIME.
STORIES ARE CONSTRUCTED THROUGH ASSOCIATIONS.
STORIES DRIVE BEHAVIOR.