Mind, Brain and Narrative

Anthony J. Sanford; Catherine Emmott

doi:10.1017/CBO9781139084321

Narratives enable readers to vividly experience fictional and non-fictional contexts. Writers use a variety of language features to control these experiences: they direct readers in how to construct contexts, how to draw inferences and how to identify the key parts of a story. Writers can skilfully convey physical sensations, prompt emotional states, effect moral responses and even alter the readers' attitudes. Mind, Brain and Narrative examines the psychological and neuroscientific evidence for the mechanisms which underlie narrative comprehension. The authors explore the scientific developments which demonstrate the importance of attention, counterfactuals, depth of processing, perspective and embodiment in these processes. In so doing, this timely, interdisciplinary work provides an integrated account of the research which links psychological mechanisms of language comprehension to humanities work on narrative and style.

‘Sanford and Emmott’s Mind, Brain and Narrative is the book of the decade for those in the interdisciplinary discourse sciences who appreciate the nuances of multi-layered narrative representation, comprehension, and communication. They discuss scenario-mapping theory, rhetorical focussing principles, and experiential immersion, which are central to a deep understanding of inferences, perspective, emotions, persuasion, figurative language, embodiment, and other phenomena that continue to mystify empirical researchers and literary scholars.’

Arthur C. Graesser - University of Memphis

‘This book forms an impressive and solid scholarly bridge between the humanities and the cognitive neurosciences from which it offers a broad and in-depth view of narrative comprehension. It is required reading for anyone interested in why stories are important to us and how we understand them.’

Rolf A. Zwaan - Erasmus University Rotterdam

'In this ingenious book, Sanford and Emmott bring together decades of research in psychology and literature regarding the effect of language on the mind of the reader.'

Mark de Kreij Source: English Text Construction

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Contents

Mind, Brain and Narrative - Half title page
pp i-ii
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Mind, Brain and Narrative - Title page
pp iii-iii
- By Anthony J. Sanford, Catherine Emmott
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Copyright page
pp iv-iv
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Dedication
pp v-vi
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Contents
pp vii-vii
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Figures
pp viii-viii
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Tables
pp ix-x
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Preface
pp xi-xii
- By Anthony J. Sanford, Catherine Emmott
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Acknowledgements
pp xiii-xiv
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1 - Narrative and the Rhetorical Processing Framework
pp 1-8
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2 - Fundamentals of text processing
pp 9-44
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3 - Multiple levels: counterfactual worlds and figurative language
pp 45-71
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4 - Attention in text: foregrounding and rhetorical focussing
pp 72-102
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5 - Rhetorical focussing and depth of processing
pp 103-131
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6 - The experiential aspect: using embodiment theory
pp 132-160
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7 - Narrative perspective and the representation of speech and thought
pp 161-190
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8 - Hot cognition: emotion, empathy and suspense
pp 191-232
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9 - Narrative’s social impact: persuasion and attitude change
pp 233-265
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10 - Final comments
pp 266-270
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Appendix 1 - Electroencephalography (EEG)
pp 271-271
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Appendix 2 - Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
pp 272-273
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References
pp 274-308
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Author index
pp 309-314
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Subject index
pp 315-324
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Mind, Brain and Narrative

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Contents

Mind, Brain and Narrative - Half title page
pp i-ii

Mind, Brain and Narrative - Title page
pp iii-iii

Copyright page
pp iv-iv

Dedication
pp v-vi

Contents
pp vii-vii

Figures
pp viii-viii

Tables
pp ix-x

Preface
pp xi-xii

Acknowledgements
pp xiii-xiv

1 - Narrative and the Rhetorical Processing Framework
pp 1-8

2 - Fundamentals of text processing
pp 9-44

3 - Multiple levels: counterfactual worlds and figurative language
pp 45-71

4 - Attention in text: foregrounding and rhetorical focussing
pp 72-102

5 - Rhetorical focussing and depth of processing
pp 103-131

6 - The experiential aspect: using embodiment theory
pp 132-160

7 - Narrative perspective and the representation of speech and thought
pp 161-190

8 - Hot cognition: emotion, empathy and suspense
pp 191-232

9 - Narrative’s social impact: persuasion and attitude change
pp 233-265

10 - Final comments
pp 266-270

Appendix 1 - Electroencephalography (EEG)
pp 271-271

Appendix 2 - Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
pp 272-273

References
pp 274-308

Author index
pp 309-314

Subject index
pp 315-324

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Mind, Brain and Narrative

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