Stories for Good
How can narratives be used to encourage positive individual and social outcomes? In this talk, I will discuss research addressing ways that stories can be used to promote prosocial attitudes, such as willingness to volunteer or support social causes. Narratives that show a positive trajectory (restorative narratives, or stories of resilience and recovery) can be effective in encouraging attention to difficult topics and promoting prosocial behavior. I will also present research examining how stories can influence perceptions of societal or collective responsibility for helping. Finally, extending work that demonstrates the power of narratives to evoke empathy for others, I will discuss research on the challenges and potential for narratives to encourage self-compassion (feelings of kindness or forgiveness toward the self).