Many of us are drawn to fiction. We immerse ourselves in fictional narratives in our daily lives, whether through enjoying written fiction, binge-watching TV series, or engaging in other forms of it. Fictional worlds offer a unique experience, transporting us to imaginative worlds. What makes fiction so entertaining? This experience may not be as readily encountered when consuming non-fictional works. Non-fiction, relative to fiction, often appears less attractive, less entertaining, and more rigid in structure and form. So, why are fictional narratives more appealing and attractive than their non-fiction counterparts? The answer might seem straightforward: because fiction encourages immersion in imaginary worlds, while non-fiction does not. However, the endpoint is not as simple. The response to this question may not be so straightforward. To address this and relevant questions, we want to draw your attention to an evolutionary hypothesis recently proposed by Edgar Dubourg and Nicolas Baumard (2022). According to Dubourg and Baumard, fictional narratives are entertainment technologies invented by the human mind, derived from specific motivations, and produced by specific cognitive mechanisms to grab the audience’s attention and fulfill specific evolutionary goals.
Fiction as an adaptive behavior
Do humans have evolved cognitive mechanisms specifically for creating fictional narratives? The hypothesis suggests that humans have not evolved specialized cognitive mechanisms for producing fiction. Instead, they have employed pre-existing cognitive mechanisms, which evolved for various purposes, to develop fiction. For example, humans have used language, as an evolved tool, to create and communicate compelling narratives, characters, and imaginary worlds. They have also utilized simulating and theory of mind abilities, as evolved tools, to mentally simulate hypothetical scenarios, counterfactuals, and to understand and portray the thoughts, intentions, and emotions of fictional characters. By leveraging these pre-existing tools, humans can create compelling and engaging fictional narratives. Thus, there are no specifically evolved cognitive mechanisms for producing fiction. Despite not having specific evolved tools for producing fiction, the fiction-as-entertainment-technology hypothesis views fiction similarly to other cultural inventions like kayaks or computers, designed by the human mind to fulfill specific adaptive goals. According to this standpoint, fiction can bring evolutionary benefits for consumers.
Evolutionary goals and motivations of fiction for humans
According to the arguments, fiction’s attractiveness and entertainment value enable it to fulfill various evolutionarily relevant goals that require capturing attention. For example, fiction can transmit adaptive information related to foraging, knowledge transmission, signaling one’s values to potential mates, communicating social norms, and fostering cooperation to achieve fitness-related goals. Additionally, fiction can contribute to building reputation and derive economic or material gains. Through the production of engaging narratives, individuals can enhance their reputation within their social group, potentially increasing their social status and influence. Fiction also serves as a means to signal one’s values to potential mates or cooperative partners, thus influencing social interactions and relationships. The sustained popularity of fiction production and consumption may stem from the fitness benefits it provides to consumers.
However, the hypothesis places particular emphasis on one of the most adaptive goals: “entertaining other people.” Fiction serves as a form of entertainment that captures individuals’ attention and interest, providing them with pleasurable experiences and engaging narratives.
How and why is fictional narrative entertaining?
Fiction is argued to be attention-grabbing, entertaining, and appealing to consumers. But why? Fictional narratives include content-based elements such as imaginary worlds, love stories, conflicts, and monsters. These features, referred to as “content-based attraction” or “superstimuli,” are ingrained in the human mind from an evolutionary perspective. They are designed to mimic stimuli that naturally capture human attention, like love stories. These features in fiction are tailored to align with these innate tendencies, making them highly appealing to the human mind.
Why fictions are more appealing than non-fiction?
Fictional narratives hold greater appeal than non-fiction due to their utilization of attention-grabbing stimuli, which captivate the human mind. In fictional narratives, creators have the liberty to employ these stimuli more freely. This distinguishes fiction from non-fiction, where such elements are less prevalent. The obligation to adhere to real facts in non-fictional works often restricts producers from inventing or exaggerating features, as emphasized by Dubourg and Baumard. Thus, while consumers turn to non-fiction for knowledge acquisition, their evaluation is not primarily based on entertainment value, but rather on fulfilling informational needs.
Therefore, the primary characteristic of any fictional narrative should be to entertain the audience. The entertainment value of a work is determined by its embedded captivating content-based features, which dictate its appeal. As creators understand and incorporate these stimulating elements into their work, the resulting narrative becomes more engaging. This entertainment value extends beyond mere enjoyment; fictional narratives serve evolutionarily relevant goals by transmitting social knowledge and fulfilling innate human desires.
In a nutshell
In summary, humans lack specifically evolved mechanisms for creating fictional narratives. Instead, they utilize pre-existing cognitive mechanisms, such as language, to produce fiction. Despite this, it is suggested that fiction can be used for evolutionary benefits for humans. For example, individuals can signal their values, beliefs, and cultural preferences to others by creating and consuming fiction. The fiction-as-entertainment-technology hypothesis proposes that the production of fiction can fulfill a specific adaptive goal, which is to “entertain other people.” To satisfy this need, fictional narratives should incorporate interesting stimuli that are hard-wired to the human mind, such as love stories.
For detailed information, please refer to the original article.
Dubourg, E., & Baumard, N. (2022). Why and How Did Narrative Fictions Evolve? Fictions as Entertainment Technologies. Front Psychol, 13, 786770. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.786770
Picture Credit.
“La Liseuse” by Henri Matisse (1895)
