Chapter Perché si muore nei romanzi: l’ipotesi della simulazione dell’ordalia

What is fiction about, and what is it good for? An influential family of theories sees fiction as rooted in adaptive simulation mechanisms. In this view, our propensity to create and enjoy narrative fictions was selected and maintained due to the training that we get from mentally simulating situati...

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Autors principals: Morin, Olivier, Acerbi, Alberto, Sobchuk, Oleg
Format: Online
Idioma:italià
Publicat: Firenze University Press 2023
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Accés en línia:ONIX_20230501_9791221500455_152
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author Morin, Olivier
Acerbi, Alberto
Sobchuk, Oleg
author_browse Acerbi, Alberto
Morin, Olivier
Sobchuk, Oleg
author_facet Morin, Olivier
Acerbi, Alberto
Sobchuk, Oleg
author_sort Morin, Olivier
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description What is fiction about, and what is it good for? An influential family of theories sees fiction as rooted in adaptive simulation mechanisms. In this view, our propensity to create and enjoy narrative fictions was selected and maintained due to the training that we get from mentally simulating situations relevant to our survival and reproduction. We put forward and test a precise version of this claim, the “ordeal simulation hypothesis”. It states that fictional narrative primarily simulates “ordeals”: situations where a person’s reaction might dramatically improve or decrease her fitness, such as deadly aggressions, or decisions on long-term matrimonial commitments. We study mortality in fictional and non-fictional texts as a partial test for this view. Based on an analysis of 744 extensive summaries of twentieth century American novels of various genres, we show that the odds of dying (in a given year) are vastly exaggerated in fiction compared to reality, but specifically more exaggerated for homicides as compared to suicides, accidents, war-related, or natural deaths. This evidence supports the ordeal simulation hypothesis but is also compatible with other accounts.
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publisherStr Firenze University Press
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-997102025-07-17T12:15:34Z Chapter Perché si muore nei romanzi: l’ipotesi della simulazione dell’ordalia Morin, Olivier Acerbi, Alberto Sobchuk, Oleg origin of fiction role of fiction narratology cultural evolution representation of death thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies What is fiction about, and what is it good for? An influential family of theories sees fiction as rooted in adaptive simulation mechanisms. In this view, our propensity to create and enjoy narrative fictions was selected and maintained due to the training that we get from mentally simulating situations relevant to our survival and reproduction. We put forward and test a precise version of this claim, the “ordeal simulation hypothesis”. It states that fictional narrative primarily simulates “ordeals”: situations where a person’s reaction might dramatically improve or decrease her fitness, such as deadly aggressions, or decisions on long-term matrimonial commitments. We study mortality in fictional and non-fictional texts as a partial test for this view. Based on an analysis of 744 extensive summaries of twentieth century American novels of various genres, we show that the odds of dying (in a given year) are vastly exaggerated in fiction compared to reality, but specifically more exaggerated for homicides as compared to suicides, accidents, war-related, or natural deaths. This evidence supports the ordeal simulation hypothesis but is also compatible with other accounts. 2023-05-02T04:12:10Z 2023-05-02T04:12:10Z 2023-05-01T13:42:17Z 2022 chapter ONIX_20230501_9791221500455_152 2704-565X https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/62736 9791221500455 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/99710 ita Moderna/Comparata open access image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International Attribution 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/62736/1/chapter-37323.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/62736/1/chapter-37323.pdf Firenze University Press 10.36253/979-12-215-0045-5.06 10.36253/979-12-215-0045-5.06 2ec4474d-93b1-4cfa-b313-9c6019b51b1a 9791221500455 22 Florence open access
spellingShingle origin of fiction
role of fiction
narratology
cultural evolution
representation of death
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies
Morin, Olivier
Acerbi, Alberto
Sobchuk, Oleg
Chapter Perché si muore nei romanzi: l’ipotesi della simulazione dell’ordalia
title Chapter Perché si muore nei romanzi: l’ipotesi della simulazione dell’ordalia
title_full Chapter Perché si muore nei romanzi: l’ipotesi della simulazione dell’ordalia
title_fullStr Chapter Perché si muore nei romanzi: l’ipotesi della simulazione dell’ordalia
title_full_unstemmed Chapter Perché si muore nei romanzi: l’ipotesi della simulazione dell’ordalia
title_short Chapter Perché si muore nei romanzi: l’ipotesi della simulazione dell’ordalia
title_sort chapter perche si muore nei romanzi l ipotesi della simulazione dell ordalia
topic origin of fiction
role of fiction
narratology
cultural evolution
representation of death
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies
topic_facet origin of fiction
role of fiction
narratology
cultural evolution
representation of death
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies
thema EDItEUR::D Biography, Literature and Literary studies
url ONIX_20230501_9791221500455_152
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AT sobchukoleg chapterperchesimuoreneiromanzilipotesidellasimulazionedellordalia