The study of ‘Game of Thrones’ reveals the power of fiction in the mind

It is not uncommon for a fictional character to play so much that his story shapes his life.

Think of educators inspired by the character of Robin Williams in “Dead Poets Society”, lawyers drawn to the profession by Perry Mason or Atticus Finch, or health professionals motivated by doctors in “ER” or “Grey’s Anatomy”.

Now the researchers think they have discovered why fiction can affect a person’s reality so strongly, thanks to a brain study using the fantasy TV show “Game of Thrones”.

It turns out that when you strongly identify with a fictional character, you are activating the same region of the brain that you use to think of yourself and those closest to you, the researchers report.

“People really internalize these experiences and make use of them, almost as if they themselves went through these experiences,” said researcher Timothy Broom, a doctoral student in psychology at Ohio State University. “They are using the same neural mechanism by which they access autobiographical information.”

For this study, Broom and his colleagues scanned the brains of 19 fans who call themselves “Game of Thrones” while thinking of themselves, nine of their friends and nine characters from the HBO series.

Participants also reported which character in the series they felt closest to and liked the most. (For “GOT” fans: the characters were Bronn, Catelyn Stark, Cersei Lannister, Davos Seaworth, Jaime Lannister, Jon Snow, Petyr “Pinky” Baelish, Sandor “The Hound” Clegane and Ygritte.)

The research team was investigating a phenomenon called “trace identification,” said Broom.

“This is where you are really immersed in the story and the narrative, but it is not just when you are immersed in it. You are immersed specifically in the psychological perspective of a character or characters within the story, “said Broom.

“You tend to think what the character is thinking,” he continued. “You feel what they are feeling. You really want them to achieve the goal they are trying to achieve. In a sense, it is almost as if you have become the character. You really inhabit their perspective.”

‘Internalization experiences’

The researchers scanned a part of the brain called the ventral medial prefrontal cortex, or vMPFC, which is strongly linked to self-reflection.

“If you have a task that you are thinking of yourself or other people, this region of the brain reliably appears in study after study,” said Broom. For example, people with damage to this part of the brain are not able to fully access autobiographical information.

Overall, study participants experienced more response in that region of the brain when they thought of themselves than when they thought of friends or fictional characters on the TV show.

But some participants were better than others in their ability to identify with fictional characters, and the activity in the vMPFC region was especially active for these people when they rated the “Game of Thrones” character they most admired or felt closest to. , the researchers said. .

“They are really internalizing the experiences of these characters, because they are experiencing the story from that perspective,” said Broom. “They really internalize that and incorporate that character into their self-concept.”

These results show the power that fiction has over people’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, said Nancy Mramor, a media psychologist and author of the book “Get Reel: Produce Your Own Life”. She was not involved in the study.

“I advise viewers to watch closely so that they are aware of their biological and emotional responses to anything or any hero they see, whether in the news or on a police show,” said Mramor.

“Know when to get involved and when to step back and watch from a distance, especially if your favorite character is on an emotional roller coaster and is taking you with him,” she continued. “Decide what and who you want to influence you and make choices.”

Using fiction to trace real life

Even attractive dramas are not healthy if the content is too disturbing. “And everyone has to make that choice for themselves,” said Mramor

Public health campaigns can benefit from qualified writers who create attractive characters that readers or viewers can relate to, said Broom.

“If people really identify with the characters in these narratives that are the target of these health interventions, people will continue to engage in healthier behaviors,” he said.

You may even be able to help guide your own emotional growth through your choice of fiction, although it depends on your ability to identify with the characters, Broom added.

“It is probably possible, in theory, to walk your own path towards your own self-growth goals by finding characters that meet the criteria you are trying to achieve,” said Broom.

“I think it would be something that would not necessarily happen immediately,” he said. “It would happen over a long period of time and it would probably be easier for people who are already in the practice of getting involved with fictional characters in this way.”

The new study was recently published online in the journal Cognitive and Affective Social Neuroscience.

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