HOT AIR BALLOON TIMELINE

3 Gifts of Data

storytelling

Memorable

1

Engaging

2

Persuasive

3

Cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner brought us the oft-cited statistic that facts are 22 times more likely to be remembered when presented within a story. Stories place data within a structure where it's easier to remember.

Mathematician John Allen Paulos explains that when we listen to stories "we tend to suspend disbelief in order to be entertained, whereas in evaluating statistics we generally have an opposite inclination to suspend belief in order to not be beguiled." The data backs this up! Researchers have found that we enter into a "trance-like" state when listening to stories and that this changes how critical we are likely to be in our thinking.

An empirical study done with attorneys and judges found that stories actually gave more credibility in the legal claims being made due to their ability to elicit emotional responses. Stories were more successful in creating empathy which was ultimately reflected in the decision making process.