Memory and Mystery: The Cultural Selection of Minimally Counterintuitive Narratives

• Published in: Cognitive science Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 531 - 553
• Main Authors: Norenzayan, Ara, Atran, Scott, Faulkner, Jason, Schaller, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430‐2262, USA Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc 06-05-2006; Taylor & Francis; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cognitive Structures; Concepts; Culture; Evolution; Folk Culture; Folklore; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Hypothesis Testing; Intuition; Laboratory Experiments; Learning. Memory; Memory; Mythology; Narration; Narratives; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Religion; Selection; Success; Social environment; Human; Concepts; Language; Narrative; Cultural environment; Memory; Religion; Evolution; Cognition; Culture
• ISSN: 0364-0213; 1551-6709
• DOI: 10.1207/s15516709cog0000_68

We hypothesize that cultural narratives such as myths and folktales are more likely to achieve cultural stability if they correspond to a minimally counterintuitive (MCI) cognitive template that includes mostly intuitive concepts combined with a minority of counterintuitive ones. Two studies tested this hypothesis, examining whether this template produces a memory advantage, and whether this memory advantage explains the cultural success of folktales. In a controlled laboratory setting, Study 1 found that an MCI template produces a memory advantage after a 1‐week delay, relative to entirely intuitive or maximally counterintuitive cognitive templates. Using archival methods, Study 2 examined the cognitive structure of Grimm Brothers folktales. Compared to culturally unsuccessful folktales, those that were demonstrably successful were especially likely to fit an MCI template. These findings highlight the role of human memory processes in cultural evolution.