Cognitive Theory
“Narrative fiction is, in essence, the presentation of fictional mental functioning”
~ Alan Palmer, Fictional Minds
Many literary scholars and neuroscientists are interested in how new understandings of the mind correspond to fictional representations of it. As a result, the path between cognitive theory and literary studies has become a two-way street. The New York Times has written numerous articles about cognitive theory in literary studies, in one article dubbing it “The Next Big Thing in English.”
The aims of cognitive theory and literary theory often overlap; for example, one branch of cognitive theory studies “theory of mind,” referring to our ability to interpret another person’s minds as we interact with them. Some have suggested that our ability and urge to interpret the minds of others is both what happens when we read, and why we read. Many neuroscientists have tackled the question of why we read by tackling another question: what’s happening in our brains when we do? Studies found that reading activates many parts of the brain, rather than just those that deal with language. For example, reading words that describe scent elicits activity not only in the language-processing areas of the brain, but also those that perceive smells.
