Restorative Narratives

Using Narrative Trajectory for Prosocial Outcomes

作者

  • Kaitlin Fitzgerald University at Buffalo
  • Melanie C. Green University at Buffalo
  • Elaine Paravati Hamilton College

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https://doi.org/10.32473/jpic.v4.i2.p51

摘要

Restorative narratives are stories that highlight how people recover from adversity. Researchers have proposed that this storytelling approach may provide a way to share negative news without emotionally overwhelming audiences. Instead, restorative narratives may decrease the need for emotion regulation processes and as a result, increase the willingness to help those in need. In Study 1, a restorative narrative elicited more positive emotions and an increased willingness to volunteer compared to a negative and control version of the same story. In Study 2, the restorative narrative again evoked more positive emotions and higher hypothetical donations to a relevant charity. Study 2 also varied the narrative ending and found that restorative narratives may need to end positively to maintain their effects.

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Kaitlin Fitzgerald is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication at the University at
Buffalo. Her research examines the cognitive and emotional processes of narrative engagement; in
particular, how certain narrative experiences may foster prosocial outcomes.

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Melanie C. Green is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University at
Buffalo.  She studies immersion into narratives and how our journeys into stories can change our attitudes
and beliefs.

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Elaine Paravati received her Ph.D. in social-personality psychology from the University at Buffalo,
SUNY and is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Hamilton College. She researches non-traditional social need fulfillment, narratives, and aspects of the social self.

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已出版

2020-12-21

栏目

Original Research