What does it mean to be transported by a narrative—to create a world inside one's head? How do experiences of narrative worlds alter our experience of the real world? In this book Richard Gerrig integrates insights from cognitive psychology and from research in linguistics, philosophy, and literary criticism to provide a cohesive account of what have most often been treated as isolated aspects of narrative experience.Drawing on examples from Tolstoi to Toni Morrison, Gerrig offers new analyses of some classic problems in the study of narrative. He discusses the ways in which we are cognitively equipped to tackle fictional and nonfictional narratives; how thought and emotion interact when we experience narrative; how narrative information influences judgments in the real world; and the reasons we can feel the same excitement and suspense when we reread a book as when we read it for the first time. Gerrig also explores the ways we enhance the experience of narratives, through finding solutions to textual dilemmas, enjoying irony at the expense of the characters in narrative, and applying a wide range of interpretive techniques to discover meanings concealed by and from authors.
Survivor has proven to be one of the most popular shows to ever hit television screens. What has this pop culture phenomenon shown us -- by placing a few hundred people on islands around the world -- about the psychological make-up of the average American? In Psychology of Survivor, the third installment of BenBella Books's Psychology of Popular Culture series, leading psychologists -- and fans of Survivor -- unite to offer up their expertise on the show that started the reality show craze. From why macho alpha males rarely win to stress and body image, from situational ethics to the dreaded Rob Cestaries factor, Psychology of Survivor is a broad look at cutting-edge psychological issues through the lens of Survivor. The tribe has spoken -- Psychology of Survivor is the best book for Survivor fans and psychology enthusiasts alike!