Published Dec 3, 2018

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Cognitive scientist Vera Tobin delves into the psychological underpinnings of storytelling, revealing how plot twists harness cognitive biases like availability and hindsight bias to enhance emotional engagement and create impactful surprises in narratives.

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Dexa/Shankar Vedantam

Spoiler Alert!

Topics covered

Popular Clips

The Thrill of Surprise

Narrative Misdirection

Magic of Perception

The Curse of Knowledge

Anchors and Imagination

The Art of Surprise

Framing the Narrative

Perception and Reality

Episode Highlights

Narrative Techniques

Emotional Engagement

Cognitive Blindspots

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Spoiler Alert!

Topics covered

Popular Clips

Episode Highlights

Narrative TechniquesNext, Vera Tobin explores the cognitive mechanisms behind storytelling, focusing on how framing and anchors shape audience perceptions. She reveals how these techniques exploit our mental shortcuts, making plot twists and surprises more effective.

Narrative Techniques

Emotional EngagementVera Tobin, a cognitive scientist, reveals how plot twists exploit our mental shortcuts, making surprises in narratives deeply satisfying. She explains how storytellers use these techniques to engage and manipulate our emotions.

Emotional Engagement

Cognitive BlindspotsVera Tobin explores how cognitive biases like availability and hindsight bias shape our experience of plot twists in narratives. She reveals how these mental shortcuts are exploited by storytellers to craft surprising and engaging stories.

Cognitive Blindspots

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