Publications
Publications
- 2022
Stories, Statistics and Memory
By: Thomas Graeber, Christopher Roth and Florian Zimmermann
Abstract
For most decisions, we rely on information encountered over the course of days,
months or years. We consume this information in various forms, including abstract
summaries of multiple data points – statistics – and contextualized anecdotes about
individual instances – stories. This paper proposes that the information type – story
versus statistic – is a central determinant of selective memory. In controlled experiments we show that the effect of information on beliefs decays rapidly and exhibits
a pronounced story-statistic gap: the average impact of stories on beliefs fades by
33% over the course of a day, but by 73% for statistics. Consistent with a model
of similarity and interference in memory, prompting contextual associations with
statistics improves recall. A series of mechanism experiments highlights that the
story-statistic gap is primarily driven by lower similarity of stories to interfering
information. Our findings highlight the eectiveness of stories in mass media and
inform the design of effective information campaigns.
Keywords
Citation
Graeber, Thomas, Christopher Roth, and Florian Zimmermann. "Stories, Statistics and Memory." Working Paper, December 2022.