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Beyond our “ancient roots”: Toward a broader understanding of the motivational power of societal meta-narratives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2025

Laura Akers Open the ORCID record for Laura Akers [Opens in a new window]
Laura Akers*
Affiliation:
Oregon Research Institute, Springfield, OR, USA lauraa@ori.org https://www.ori.org/project/laura-akers/
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

The “historical myths” addressed in the target article are but one type of societal meta-narrative, a cognitive framework for understanding the story of one's group: Its origins, purpose, turning points, threats and opportunities, key relationships, and the appropriate affect for group members. Engagement with the broader literature on meta-narratives, including political and sacred myths, and on group entitativity is recommended.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 47 , 2024 , e172
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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