Abstract
The power of stories derives, not from the verbal stimuli themselves, but from the interaction of such stimuli with the on-going idiosyncratic behavior of the listener. This interaction produces behavioral effects that go far beyond what might be expected from a consideration of the narrative as an arrangement of verbal stimuli.
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Notes
This line has been attributed to Hemingway, an author noted for his spare prose style, but that too appears to be merely a good story. The true origin is uncertain (Wright, 2014).
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Wright, F. A. (2014). The short story just got shorter: Hemingway, narrative, and the six-word urban legend. The Journal of Popular Culture, 47, 327–340. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2012.00935.x.
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Palmer, D.C. The Power of Narratives Derives from Evoked Behavior. Perspect Behav Sci 41, 503–507 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-018-0159-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-018-0159-4