Story is simply the way we think
Read moreAt the conclusion of the previous post, I was looking back and reflecting on the early months of my doctoral research. In particular, I recalled my surprise at the large number of writers and researchers I encountered whose work pointed me toward a straightforward conclusion: human beings think in story form. In fact, when I began studying the theoretical aspects
All our thinking happens in story form
Read moreNearly three decades ago, when I began to focus on narrative as a subject of my research, I was truly surprised—and often intrigued—by some of the notions I came across. For example, the concept that story-based knowledge would play a central role in the decision-making of such people as doctors, helicopter pilots or fire fighters was something that seemed counter-intuitive to me.
The value of narrative knowledge in all types of decision-making
Read moreIn the last entry, I cited an additional element of narrative that began to interest me during my doctoral study—the role story plays in various types of decisions. As I explored this concept further, I continued to find evidence that people who make critical decisions use narrative approaches far more than structured or scientific ones. The whole topic of how
We make decisions based on the stories we know
Read moreIn several posts, we have seen that stories are an invaluable form of knowledge, and not only by virtue of the fact that we remember anecdotes easily. Research in psychology and neurology has clearly demonstrated that narrative stays readily accessible in our memories. Therefore, this form of learning is usable far longer than facts, theories, or rational arguments. Some of
Story, theatre and learning
Read moreLast time, we took a look at narrative’s powerful combination of sequential structure, context and emotion. We saw how the three elements together make story and storytelling highly usable tools for teachers. Of the three elements in question, the one I addressed least was emotion. Now, I would like to hone in specifically on why this emotional component is one we
Structure, context and emotion—how narrative helps us learn and remember
Read moreAfter writing the previous entry, I realized how much more there is to say about the power of narrative as a teaching device. Since storytelling has been a central focus of my work, writing and public speaking since the 1990s, I could probably go on discussing the subject for a long time. Rather than do that, though, I will close