The Moral Laboratory: Experiments examining the effects of reading literature on social perception and moral self-conceptJohn Benjamins Publishing, 15 giu 2000 - 205 pagine The idea that reading literature changes the reader seems as old as literature itself. Through the ages philosophers, writers, and literary scholars have suggested it affects norms, empathic ability, self-concept, beliefs, etc. This book examines what we actually know about these effects. And it finds strong evidence for the old claims. However, it remains unclear what aspects of the reading experience are responsible for these effects. Applying methods of the social sciences to this particular problem of literary theory, this book presents a psychological explanation based upon the conception of literature as a moral laboratory. A series of experiments examines whether imagining oneself in the shoes of characters affects beliefs about what it must be like to be someone else, and whether it affects beliefs about consequences of behavior. The results have implications for the role literature could play in society, for instance, in an alternative for traditional moral education. |
Sommario
1 | |
Chapter 2 Changing Readers | 29 |
Chapter 3 A Blueprint for Moral Laboratories | 61 |
Chapter 4 Understanding Others | 97 |
Chapter 5 Moral Selfknowledge | 117 |
Chapter 6 Summary and Conclusion | 147 |
Appendix | 169 |
183 | |
197 | |
Index of terms | 203 |
Parole e frasi comuni
adulteress adultery affect readers Algerian analysis of variance argued awareness beliefs causal caused changes Chapter character’s Chekhov commit adultery consequences consider defamiliarization Defining Issues Test delayed posttest differences diffuse version discussion effects of literature effects of reading effects on readers emotions empathic response enhance essay ethical reflection evidence expected experiences experimental groups female fictional world Flerx focalization Focused Diffuse Control focused versions goals Happy Sad hypothesis imagine inferences involved Kuiken literary texts male subjects manipulation mental representation moral development moral effects moral judgment Moral Laboratory moral self-knowledge motives negative norms and values Olga one’s outgroup participation people’s placebo position possible pre-ethical effect present reading literature reading narratives reading stories reading the stories role-taking ROXO scores secret affairs self-concept sex-role significant situation social distance social learning social perception stimulate studies suggest tion understanding Utrecht University variables women women in Islamic X1 read