If you love detective stories, know that your literary addictions have an explanation. Of course, we appreciate this genre for the fact that an exciting story makes us experience a whole gamut of emotions and fires our imagination. Which of the detectives attract us especially?
If you love detective stories, know that your literary addictions have an explanation. Of course, we appreciate this genre for the fact that an exciting story makes us experience a whole gamut of emotions and fires our imagination. Which of the detectives attract us especially? Psychologist Caterina Keplinger of the University of Music and Drama in Hanover, Germany, believes that our level of self-esteem influences our choice of literature to a certain extent.
The German students were asked to read one detective story in three versions. In the first, the reader could guess who committed the crime. In the second, there were hints of involvement in the murder of one of the heroes, and at the end of the novel he turned out to be guilty (the expected denouement). In the latest version, the author set the reader on a false trail: the killer was not at all the one who was suspected (unexpected denouement). The results of the study showed that stories with an unexpected ending are more liked by people with high self-esteem. Conversely, someone who finds it difficult to appreciate and accept themselves will prefer a novel with a predictable plot: a correct guess will help to feel more confident.