Jeremy Adam Smith illustrates in a Greater Good post, The Science of the Story, the emerging understanding of neuropsychology in storytelling.
He posits:
“Experiencing a story alters our neurochemical processes, and stories are a powerful force in shaping human behavior.”
He goes on to discuss negativity bias, stress, adrenaline and cortisol.
“When someone starts a story with a ‘dragon,’ they’re harnessing negativity bias and manipulating the stress response, whether they intend to or not. We’re attracted to stressful stories because we are always afraid that it could happen to us, whatever “it” is — and we want to imagine how we would deal with all the many kinds of dragons that could rear up in our lives, from family strife to layoffs to crime.”
Jeremy then explains how likeable characters stimulate our brains to release the neuropeptide called oxytocin. And, finally, dopamine.
“That’s when the storytelling miracle comes to pass: As the cortisol that feeds attention mixes with the oxytocin of care, we experience a phenomenon called ‘transportation.’ Transportation happens when attention and anxiety join with our empathy. In other words, we’re hooked. For the duration of the story, our fates become intertwined with those of imaginary people. If the story has a happy ending, it triggers the limbic system, the brain’s reward center, to release dopamine. We might be overcome by a feeling of optimism — the same one characters are experiencing on the page or screen.”
Why would we evolve to crave stories?
“We need to know about problems and how to solve them, which can enhance our survival as individuals and as a species. Without a problem for the characters to solve, there is no story.”
Watch neuroeconomist Paul Zak‘s video Empathy, Neurochemistry, and the Dramatic Arc.
My take: I like the both the big picture and the details; Zak’s research helps me understand storytelling further and makes me think of the seven basic plots and creativity templates.