How stories shape our minds | The science of storytelling | BBC Ideas

Summary

This video script explores the profound influence of storytelling, highlighting its power to alter perceptions and prejudices. It references research suggesting that reading about characters like Harry Potter or vampires can influence self-perception and even physiological beliefs. The script delves into the psychological impact of narrative immersion, discussing the role of mirror neurons and the social surrogate effect of fictional characters. It emphasizes the importance of stories in shaping opinions on contentious issues and enhancing empathy towards stigmatized groups, while also noting their value in children's cognitive and emotional development. The speaker concludes with an impassioned call to engage with literature.

Takeaways

• 📚 The power of storytelling is immense, with the potential to change relationships and prejudices, and even to persuade on a large scale.
• 🧙 Reading 'Harry Potter' can make readers feel more capable of using their minds to move objects, suggesting a psychological effect of immersing in a story.
• 🦇 Reading about vampires can lead people to believe they have slightly longer teeth, illustrating the transformative power of narrative on self-perception.
• 🧠 Reading activates the same brain areas as performing the actions described, indicating a deep neurological engagement with stories.
• 🤔 The mirror neuron system is suggested to be involved in story immersion, but it's not the complete explanation for the psychological effects.
• 🤝 Fictional characters can serve as social surrogates, reducing feelings of loneliness and potentially improving self-esteem and mood.
• 💑 Friendships, even with fictional characters, can positively influence the outcomes of real-life relationships.
• 🌈 Stories are more effective than facts in changing attitudes towards controversial topics like same-sex marriage or immigration.
• 🔍 Reading 'Harry Potter' can improve attitudes towards stigmatized groups, but only if the reader identifies with the protagonist.
• 👶 Children naturally love stories and use them to understand the world and themselves, highlighting the importance of narrative in cognitive development.
• 📖 The act of reading is not merely relaxation; it's an active process of building and populating worlds in the mind, which is unmatched by other forms of media.

Q & A

What does the Native American proverb about storytelling suggest?

The proverb suggests that stories have the power to shape and control the world, emphasizing their potential to influence and change societal perspectives.

How can stories change our perceptions and beliefs?

Stories can change our perceptions and beliefs by immersing us in different worlds and making us feel as if we are experiencing the events within them, which can alter our attitudes and self-perceptions.

What was the effect of reading Harry Potter on participants in the research mentioned?

Participants who read Harry Potter rated themselves higher in their ability to move objects with their minds, suggesting a change in self-perception due to the narrative.

How did reading about vampires influence the readers in the study?

Readers who read about vampires started to believe that their teeth were slightly longer than others, illustrating the power of narrative to affect physical self-perception.

What psychological effect does reading have on us according to the script?

Reading can create a sense of immersion, making us feel as if the events in the story are happening to us, which can lead to the activation of brain areas related to the actions described.

What is the mirror neuron system, and how does it relate to storytelling?

The mirror neuron system is believed to be involved in our ability to empathize and understand the actions of others. It is suggested that this system plays a role in how we connect with fictional characters, as if they were real.

How do fictional characters serve as a social surrogate for readers?

Fictional characters can act as a social surrogate, providing a sense of companionship and reducing feelings of loneliness, and can also buffer self-esteem and improve mood.

What impact can stories have on political opinions and attitudes towards controversial topics?

Stories have been found to be effective in changing political opinions and attitudes towards controversial topics, such as same-sex marriage or immigration, by providing relatable narratives that can shift perspectives.

How does reading Harry Potter potentially improve attitudes towards stigmatized groups?

Reading Harry Potter can improve attitudes towards stigmatized groups, but only if the reader identifies with the protagonist, Harry, suggesting that identification with characters is key to the story's impact.

Why are stories important for children's development?

Stories are important for children as they help them understand the world around them and themselves. They provide a framework for making sense of experiences and foster imagination and empathy.

What is the final recommendation given in the script for viewers?

The script encourages viewers to turn off the video and pick up a book to experience the immersive and transformative power of storytelling firsthand.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The Power of Storytelling

This paragraph discusses the profound impact stories can have on society and individuals. It highlights a Native American proverb emphasizing the influence of storytelling and cites research suggesting that reading certain narratives can alter a person's self-perception and beliefs. For instance, reading Harry Potter can make people feel more capable of telekinesis, while vampire stories can make them think they have longer teeth. The paragraph also touches on the psychological effects of reading, such as mirror neuron activation and the immersive experience that makes readers feel connected to the story's world and characters, which can mitigate loneliness and improve mood.

Keywords

💡Storytelling

Storytelling is the act of conveying events in words, images, and sounds that tell a narrative and evoke emotion. In the video, it is highlighted as a powerful tool with the potential to change perceptions and beliefs. The Native American proverb mentioned at the beginning underscores the influence of storytelling in shaping the world.

💡Persuasion

Persuasion refers to the ability to influence the actions or beliefs of others through argument or communication. The script discusses the staggering potential of stories to persuade, suggesting that narratives can alter attitudes towards various issues, such as same-sex marriage or immigration.

💡Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a reference to the popular book series that serves as an example in the script to illustrate how stories can affect self-perception. It is mentioned that reading about Harry Potter can make people believe they possess similar abilities, such as moving objects with their minds.

💡Vampires

Vampires are mythical creatures used in the script to demonstrate how reading about certain characters can influence a reader's self-perception. The script suggests that reading about vampires can lead people to believe they have slightly longer teeth, indicating the psychological impact of stories.

💡Immersion

Immersion in the context of the video refers to the deep engagement with the world of a story, feeling as if the events within it are happening to the reader. This concept is central to the psychological effects of storytelling, as it helps to create a sense of connection with the narrative.

💡Mirror Neuron System

The mirror neuron system is a set of neurons that fires both when an individual performs an action and when they observe the same action performed by another. The script suggests that this system may play a role in the immersive experience of reading, activating similar brain areas whether one performs or observes an action.

💡Social Surrogate

A social surrogate, as mentioned in the script, refers to a non-real entity, such as a fictional character, that serves as a substitute for real social interactions. This concept is related to how readers can form connections with fictional characters, which can mitigate feelings of loneliness and affect self-esteem.

💡Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is the value and respect a person holds for themselves. The video suggests that engaging with stories and fictional characters can buffer self-esteem, providing a positive impact on an individual's perception of their own worth.

💡Controversial Topics

Controversial topics in the script refer to subjects that are widely debated and can evoke strong opinions, such as same-sex marriage or immigration. The video posits that stories can be effective in changing attitudes towards these divisive issues.

💡Stigmatized Groups

Stigmatized groups are those that are marginalized or discriminated against in society. The script mentions that reading stories, such as Harry Potter, can improve attitudes towards such groups, particularly if the reader identifies with the protagonist.

💡Children and Stories

The script highlights the natural affinity children have for stories, which play a crucial role in their understanding of the world and themselves. It emphasizes the importance of storytelling in child development and their inherent desire to share narratives from their experiences.

Highlights

The Native American proverb emphasizes the power of storytelling in shaping the world.

Stories have the potential to change relationships and prejudices, and to persuade on a massive scale.

Reading Harry Potter can make people rate themselves higher in mental abilities.

People who read about vampires may believe they have slightly longer teeth due to the power of suggestion.

Stories can immerse us psychologically, making us feel as if we are part of the narrative.

Reading is an active process of building and populating imaginary worlds.

The unique experience of reading a book is unmatched by other forms of storytelling media.

Reading the word 'jump' activates the same brain areas as actually performing the action.

The mirror neuron system may play a role in immersing ourselves in stories.

Connecting with fictional characters can serve as a social surrogate, reducing feelings of loneliness.

Fictional connections can buffer self-esteem and improve mood, similar to real social interactions.

Having friendships, even with fictional characters, can positively impact relationship outcomes.

Stories are more effective in changing opinions on controversial topics than factual information alone.

Reading Harry Potter can improve attitudes towards stigmatized groups, especially if the reader identifies with Harry.

Children's natural love for stories is crucial for understanding the world and themselves.

The call to action encourages viewers to engage with books for their transformative power.

A reminder for viewers to subscribe and stay updated with notifications for new content.

Transcripts

There's a Native American proverb that says,

"The one who tells the story rules the world."

Stories have the potential to be incredibly powerful.

They're able to change how we relate to each other, to change prejudice,

so the potential for stories to persuade is staggering.

I read this really, really good research paper about these two books

which basically suggested, that if you get people to read

a couple of chapters of Harry Potter, they'll rate themselves higher than

other people in their ability to potentially move something,

just using the power of their mind.

The people who read about the vampires, they'll actually believe

that their teeth are slightly longer than other people in the population,

just as a result of having read a chapter or two of this book.

In terms of psychology, there's a few things that stories

actually do to us.

We get this sense that we're

fully immersed in the world that we're reading about.

We start to almost feel as if the things that are happening to them,

are happening to us.

Reading is not a relaxation, you are building worlds,

you are populating those worlds with cities

and those cities you are populating with people.

So although television, film, theatre

all have their place in the storytelling world,

to me that moment of contact with a book, when you read a story

and unlock its secrets...

nothing quite comes close.

Our research has been on the meaning

of individual words, if you read

the word "jump" for example, you activate those areas that you also

activate when you do actually perform the action of jumping,

so it would be about here somewhere.

The interesting question in this case of course is, I mean if you read

about somebody else jumping, why should you activate

brain areas related to jumping?

The proponents of the theory would say that immersing yourself

into a story is based on the mirror neuron system.

I am convinced that mirror neurons are part of this process,

but it can't be the whole story.

It's been found that, when we connect with people who aren’t real

but are fictional characters, it forms a sort of social surrogate

for us - it's almost like they're a real person when they're not.

And psychologists sometimes call it...

And what's interesting about that is it kind of makes us feel less lonely

and it can also buffer self-esteem and improve our mood.

We know that having a lot of friendships with other people

when you're in a couple is a really positive thing for the outcomes

of that relationship.

But what's really interesting is they don’t have to be real people.

If you're trying to change people's opinions about controversial topics

such as same sex marriage or immigration for example,

stories have actually been found to be a lot more effective

in producing political change.

Attitudes towards stigmatised groups could be improved by reading

Harry Potter, but only if the person identified with Harry.

Children love stories, they always have a story to tell whether it's

about the weekend or what happened in the playground.

And it's such an important part of understanding the world around them,

and understanding themselves.

You should definitely turn this off right now and go and pick up a book.

Thanks for watching! :)

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