Emily Troscianko-Why We Need Cognitive Literary Studies To Help Us Understand & Treat Mental Illness

The Cognitive Science in the Arts and Humanities event introduces speaker Emily Shenko, known for integrating cognitive science and literature. Shenko, a research associate at Oxford, explores how cognitive models explain the eeriness in Kafka's works. Her book "Kafka's Cognitive Realism" examines the realism in literature, questioning its accuracy and impact on readers.

Emily Shenko emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue between humanities and cognitive sciences. She discusses her work on Kafka and the integration of cognitive science, particularly second-generation cognitive science focusing on embodied experience. This enhances ethical and interpretative literary scholarship.

Shenko plans to discuss interdisciplinarity's role in examining the usefulness of literature, particularly relating to mental health and disordered eating. She will explore how fiction reading interacts with cultural aspects of eating disorders, and the limited research in this area. She advocates for cognitive literary science in understanding literary effects.

Shenko seeks to explore the complex interplay between personal motivation and academic pursuit, aiming for a meaningful contribution in the realm of cognitive literary studies. She emphasizes the need to balance personal interests with professional goals, especially when connecting literature and cognitive science.

Shenko shares her personal journey into cognitive literary studies, prompted by her interest in Kafka's narratives. Her initial reluctance and crisis led her to seek questions that genuinely interested her, combining her scientific background with literary analysis to address cognitive realism in literature.

The interdisciplinary approach helps Shenko tackle questions about the interaction between literary works and the reader's mind, focusing on literary effects and their potential therapeutic implications for mental health issues like eating disorders. Her own experiences with eating disorders partly drive this research.

Shenko realized the lack of research linking fiction reading with mental health, particularly eating disorders. She began a project exploring this interaction, combining personal history with literary scholarship. The project aims to highlight potential therapeutic roles fiction might play in mental health.

Shenko conducted a major survey with support from the UK eating disorders charity, Beat, to explore perceptions of reading's impact on mental health. The survey revealed complex interactions, with respondents often linking reading to exacerbating or alleviating symptoms, highlighting literature's dual potential for harm and benefit.

Shenko identifies various feedback loops in which fiction interacts with mental health, particularly eating disorders. The survey suggests that fictional narratives can either positively or negatively influence attitudes and behaviors, serving as feedback within the cognitive and emotional systems of readers.

The research identifies both positive and negative feedback loops in readers with eating disorders. Shenko aims to explore literature's effects on mood, body image, and self-esteem. She emphasizes the need for in-depth investigation into how literature can harm or help, beyond simple assumptions of its therapeutic potential.

Shenko highlights the necessity for empirical studies on bibliotherapy, noting a lack of rigorous exploration of how fiction might aid or harm mental health. She critiques the reliance on assumptions about literature's beneficial nature and calls for scientific inquiry into its mechanisms, particularly in cognitive literary studies.

Shenko expresses skepticism about existing literary therapy models and calls for a more nuanced understanding of literature's impact on mental health, particularly in relation to eating disorders. She challenges simplistic views of literary insight as inherently beneficial and opens the field for more precise investigations.

Shenko addresses the partnership challenges with non-academic entities like Beat, advocating for data-driven discussions on literature's impact on mental health. She explores the potential role of first-person narratives and cognitive realism in literature, examining how these might influence emotional and cognitive engagement.