I remember this study, but I do question the solid conclusions, as there are a lot of caveats - these are about generic, short books, not long ones, not ones that take more than one sitting to finish, nor are they classics, nor movies, the study isn't double-blind, they cover only three very similar genres, the sample size seems tiny (4?) and given that, I wonder if the results are even statistically significant.

I also wonder if 'enjoyment of story' is the be-all and end-all metric when it comes to the value of a story, narratives are about invoking a whole range of emotions and mental journeys, not just enjoyment. Some of the best works I've experienced, I would struggle to rate as 'highly enjoyed', because I sobbed for half of it.

It's an interesting study, whatever the case.

[–] Egon@hexbear.net 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah it's definitely flawed, but I think it's really interesting. I don't think there's any conclusive answer, but when the broad narrative is anti-spoiler, it's interesting to me to see the other side of it. It also helped me understand why I seemed to enjoy movies more when I knew what was coming. It took the stress of worrying for the characters away, so I could just enjoy the beats and scenes in their own.

[–] SootySootySoot@hexbear.net 2 points 11 months ago

Very fair. I absolutely also concede to enjoying some movies more when I know the plot, or even moreso when I know the film intimately well.