"Your Brain on Fiction"
Here is the link to Annie Murphy Paul's "The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Fiction." What did you think of this article? If fiction has such an impact on our brains, does that make the decline in reading (especially reading novels) even more significant?
I found this article to correspond with own ideas about reading descriptive writing. I know that often times when I'm reading, I find some passages more stimulating than others. This read was very interesting because it provided data from studies that are now fact instead of theory. As far as attributing this to the significance in the decline of reading today, I would say it does. I believe that reading plays a major role in the development of the brain. though social media is substituting a large part of reading today, nothing can replace a novel.
ReplyDeleteI really liked her article. I thought that she chose and interesting topic to talk about and did a great job a presenting the information. Her article was more to inform than to win over the popular vote and so i felt her tone was more relax and on the mellow side. I wish she would have gone in depth on how fiction helps us understand others better that was the most interesting part to me.
ReplyDeleteJordan B.
I found this article quite fascinating actually. As someone who does not read very often, if at all, I found the study conducted by Dr. Mar and Dr. Oatley in 2006-2009 very interesting. They claim their study proved that people who read fiction frequently can better relate to people and empathize with them. That may be true, but I don't believe in order to understand someone you have to be a reader. I feel I have a very high understanding in others just based on my own life experiences and not from reading.
ReplyDelete- Vicky Hamilton
I thought this article was very interesting. I found myself relating to is, as I remember reading a few books where I felt like I was actually IN the story, as apposed to reading it. However, I agree with Vicky; You don't have to be a reader to be able to understand and empathize with others, that comes through your own personal experiences.
ReplyDeletethis article is really interesting to me. it gave me new information. human body is amazing! especially brain!!i do not think it decline in reading. brain helps to remeber what we read and understand it better becasue brain responds to depictions of smells and textures and movements like the real things.
ReplyDeleteyoon k
I'm interesting with this article. Human's brain handles metaphor. Also it can move fictional character as real life
ReplyDelete-- Uyen B.
Enjoyable article. I thought the finding regarding preschool aged children, and the impact of having stories read to them, carried a lot of weight towards the importance of reading to kids. It exposes them to things they might not have experienced just yet in life, and leaves them a little more prepared for the encounter.
ReplyDelete-Kevin K.
I find it interesting that brain scans can reveal what happens in our head when reading. It's fascinting to see which part of the brain reacts more becuase of a certain word or phrase is said.
ReplyDelete- Justina M.
I found it interesting that the brain did not distinguish between "actual and fake" stimuli. that it continued to react normally and light up different corresponding areas.
ReplyDeleteB. James
I've seen this response in earlier teachings. It reminds me of Pavlov's dogs and how they salivated when hearing the dinner bell. What's for dinner? Maybe a roast and mashed potatoes and gravy, delicious. I wonder how much brain would look under a MRI right now.
ReplyDeleteI liked this article because it shows how words can influence how we think. The right words can create emotion, and help us experience what we are reading about. A good author can use words to spark these feelings in us to draw us into the story and experience it with them.
ReplyDeleteKeith E.
I have to agree with everyone that has stated their opinion on this article . It is fascinating what reading does to our brains. Words that make us a feel a certain way are very powerful.
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