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Narratives of crisis: From affective structures to adaptive functions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2023

Petra Pelletier
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Social Psychology (EA 4471), University of Paris, Paris 92774, France petra.pelletier@gmail.com Research Center for Semiotics, CeReS (EA 3648), Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences (FLSH), University of Limoges, Limoges 87000, France petra.pelletier@unilim.fr cecile.mc-laughlin@unilim.fr
Cécile McLaughlin
Affiliation:
Research Center for Semiotics, CeReS (EA 3648), Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences (FLSH), University of Limoges, Limoges 87000, France petra.pelletier@unilim.fr cecile.mc-laughlin@unilim.fr
Magali Boespflug
Affiliation:
Research Center for Management (CEREGE), Department of Legal, Economic and Management Sciences, University of Poitiers, Poitiers 86073, France. magali.boespflug@univ-poitiers.fr

Abstract

This commentary focuses on affective structures and the main adaptive functions of shared narratives to fill the gaps of the Conviction Narrative Theory. The transmission of narratives among individuals in highly uncertain situations is irrevocably tainted by affects and anchored in collective memory. Narratives have important evolutionary functions for human beings under threat and act as the social glue that creates and strengthens social bonds among individuals.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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