Inducing narrative tension in the viewer through suspense, surprise, and curiosity

Berros, Jésús Bermejo; Díez, Jaime López; Martinez, M J

doi:10.1016/j.poetic.2022.101664

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…This factor guides predictions of what should be expected in a particular situation, and therefore surprise varies across domains 150 . Indeed, the broader literature on surprise includes domains as wide-ranging as music 151 , language 51 , politics 64, 65 , and narratives 55, 148,152,153 . In this paper, we used the term, “surprise”, to refer to changes in game or championship probability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term, multi-event surprise enhances autobiographical memory

Antony

Barnett

Bennion

2022

Preprint

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Neurobiological models of learning emphasize the importance of prediction errors (surprises) for memory formation. These effects have focused on memory for information surrounding a momentary surprising event; however, it is less clear whether surprise that unfolds across multiple events and timescales impacts memory. We asked basketball fans about their most positive and negative autobiographical memories of individual plays, games, and seasons, allowing surprise measurements spanning seconds, hours, and months. We used advanced analytics on National Basketball Association play-by-play data and betting odds spanning 17 seasons, >22K games, >5.6M plays to compute and align the estimated surprise values of each memory. We found that surprising events biased positive memories on the scale of seconds and months and negative memories across all three timescales. Critically, game and season memories could not be explained by surprise at shorter timescales, suggesting that long-term, multi-event surprise influences memory. These results expand the role of surprise in models of learning and reinforce its relevance in real-world domains.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term, multi-event surprise enhances autobiographical memory

Antony

Barnett

Bennion

2022

Preprint

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“…It stems from the uncertainty surrounding narrative events, both past and future, and the sensation of time progression within the narrative [14]. This deliberate uncertainty serves to engage the audience by manipulating their expectations [41], thus generating tension, anticipation, and what Ryan refers to as temporal immersion [14].…”

Section: Temporal Immersion: Narrative Tension and Time As A Mechanicmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Narrative tension, achieved via strategies such as surprise, curiosity, and suspense, plays a crucial role in manipulating audience expectations [14,[41][42][43]. In interactive environments such as VR, temporal immersion can also be facilitated by utilizing time as a mechanic, e.g., introducing time limits for completing actions or overcoming challenges [14,44].…”

Section: Temporal Immersion: Narrative Tension and Time As A Mechanicmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While surprise may be the most basic form of narrative tension, its fleeting effects make it less conducive to immersion. However, considering temporal immersion as a means of manipulating expectations [41], surprise can still be immersive. It can occur when there is a revelation of past events that reshapes what was previously known, engaging attention in a prolonged temporal context [14].…”

Section: Temporal Immersion: Narrative Tension and Time As A Mechanicmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Ludic and Narrative Immersion in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy to Animal Phobias: A Systematic Literature Review

Martins,

Vairinhos

2023

Virtual Worlds

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In the context of therapeutic exposure to phobias, virtual reality (VR) offers innovative ways to motivate patients to confront their fears, an opportunity not feasible in traditional non-digital settings. This systematic literature review explores the utilization of narratives and digital games in this context, focusing on identifying the most common ludic and narrative immersion features employed in studies dedicated to animal phobias. Via a search on the Scopus and Web of Science scientific databases, twenty-nine studies were selected for in-depth analysis. The primary objective was to evaluate the presence of ludic and narrative elements in each study to understand their immersive potential across both dimensions. Findings suggest that ludic elements are more commonly used than narrative elements, which are notably scarce, and the exploration of the emotional dimension of narrative immersion is limited. An essential takeaway is that features fostering narrative immersion are invariably linked to the ludic dimension, often functioning as secondary components. This study provides a guiding framework for developing therapeutic interventions in VR, emphasizing the incorporation of ludic and narrative aspects. Additionally, it identifies untapped research opportunities, particularly the integration of autonomous narratives that are less reliant on ludic elements.

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A quantitative study of non-linearity in storytelling

Piper

Toubia

2023

Poetics

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Inducing narrative tension in the viewer through suspense, surprise, and curiosity

Cited by 6 publications

References 16 publications

Long-term, multi-event surprise enhances autobiographical memory

Long-term, multi-event surprise enhances autobiographical memory

Ludic and Narrative Immersion in Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy to Animal Phobias: A Systematic Literature Review

A quantitative study of non-linearity in storytelling

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