Scientific Study of Literature - Volume 7, Issue 1, 2017

Abstract

In this theoretical paper, we would like to pave the ground for future empirical studies in Neurocognitive Poetics by describing relevant properties of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets extracted via Quantitative Narrative Analysis. In the first two parts, we quantify aspects of the sonnets’ cognitive and affective-aesthetic features, as well as indices of their thematic richness, symbolic imagery, and semantic association potential. In the final part, we first demonstrate how the results of these quantitative narrative analyses can be used for generating testable predictions for empirical studies of literature. Second, we feed the quantitative narrative analysis data into a machine learning algorithm which successfully classifies the 154 sonnets into two main categories, i.e. the young man and dark lady poems. This shows how quantitative narrative analysis data can be combined with computational modeling for identifying those of the many quantifiable sonnet features that may play a key role in their reception.

Abstract

This article reports the results of a study that investigated different aspects of the aesthetic perception of literary style. Excerpts from novels belonging to two broadly defined literary style categories, namely modern and postmodern style, were judged by the participants. Semantic scales corresponding to perceptual qualities of modern and postmodern literature were used. The results indicate that these scales can measure perceptual differences between the selected novels, and that the two novels categorized as modern were experienced differently from those categorized as postmodern. Some of the scales also predicted aesthetic preference for novels. Rating differences on the two scales incoherent – coherent and formal – colloquial predicted the ability to attribute novel excerpts. This finding seems to indicate that the ability to distinguish styles in regard to perceptual qualities helps readers to judge certain similarities of novels.

Abstract

Some purport that literary fiction is determined by high inference demands. The subgenre of science fiction is often defined by story-world tropes that may reduce inferential demands. However, science fiction with high inference demands may also constitute literary fiction. Instead of inferential demands, it may be readers’ responses to setting that distinguishes science fiction and narrative realism. In two experiments, a story was manipulated for contemporary and science-fiction settings. Also, a version of each text with and without explanatory statements manipulated inference demand. Readers perceived the science-fiction text as lower in literary quality. For science fiction, readers also exerted less inference effort for theory of mind, but more for understanding the world. Regardless of inference effort, participants who read the story in the science-fiction world performed more poorly on comprehension. Readers’ expectations triggered by setting tropes seem to be particularly potent determinants of literary quality perceptions, inference effort, and comprehension.

Abstract

Five TV actors completed the Big Five personality scale for a character they played on a popular Israeli TV comedy. Viewers of each of these series completed the same scales both for themselves and as they thought the characters would have completed them. They then completed parasocial relationship and identification scales with respect to the same character. Perceived and measured similarity scores (i.e., using the actors’ scores) were computed for each viewer-character pair. These similarity scores were then used to predict both parasocial relationship strength and the degree of identification. Results show that perceived and measured similarity are mostly unrelated and that perceived similarity, but not measured similarity, is related to parasocial relationships and identification. Implications of these results for mediated relationships theory and measurement validity are discussed.

Abstract

Literary narrative fiction may be particularly effective in enhancing Theory of Mind (ToM), as it requires readers to contemplate author and character intentions in filling the literary ‘gaps’ that have been suggested to characterise this fiction type. The current study investigates direct and cumulative effects of reading literature on ToM using confirmatory Bayesian analyses. Direct effects were assessed by comparing the ToM skills of participants who read texts that were manipulated to differ in the amount of gap filling they required. Cumulative effects were assessed by considering the relationship between lifetime literary fiction exposure and ToM. Results showed no evidence for direct effects of reading literature on ToM. However, lifetime literary fiction exposure was associated with higher ToM, particularly cognitive ToM. Although reading a specific piece of literary fiction may thus not have immediately measurable effects on ToM, lifetime exposure to this fiction type is associated with more advanced ToM.

This article reviews Language, Discourse, Style: Selected works of John McH. Sinclair