Lesson Summary

What is a story? The psychology of stories & communication

Storytelling is a technique to share a string of events with an audience, and it has a powerful impact on its listeners. Not only does it enable people to relate to and trust one another through experience, but it also allows people to feel emotions they wouldn't usually experience in their day-to-day lives.

A neuroscientist at Princeton University even found that when it comes to communication, speakers and listeners' brains exhibit joint, temporarily-coupled response patterns. This is partly due to the release of the feel-good chemical, oxytocin, in the brain. Businesses, authors, and other creatives can further tap into the power of storytelling to incite strong emotions in their readers and encourage them to make impulsive buying decisions on the spot.