Toward a Unified Theory of Narrative Change: Layers, Values, Cognition, Media, and the Dynamics of Meaning Reconstruction

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Published: Zenodo 2026
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contents <p>This work proposes a unified theory of narrative change that integrates structural, cognitive, emotional, cultural, and media‑based mechanisms into a single explanatory framework. The central claim is that narrative depth does not arise from techniques alone, but from the dynamic reconfiguration of cognition and values across multiple layers of story experience.</p> <p>The paper formalizes four interdependent layers of narrative change—world events, inner cognition, symbolic and relational meaning, and civilizational or ontological assumptions—and maps them onto a corresponding hierarchy of human values. A minimal axiom for generating subsequent chapters is introduced: a narrative progresses when a character or reader perceives that some state has changed, whether or not the change is objectively real. This axiom is grounded in contemporary research on event cognition, prediction error, schema updating, and meaning‑making.</p> <p>The theory further distinguishes deep, middle, and surface strata of narrative, emphasizing that surface media—including fireworks, projection mapping, virtual reality, and AI‑generated artifacts—should be treated as legitimate expressive materials that shape the concrete narrative moments capable of moving human emotion. A principle of “information entropy and diversity maximization” is proposed to expand the space of possible narrative developments and to support systematic enumeration of story changes.</p> <p>The appendices provide extensive taxonomies of narrative change at macro, micro, and deep cultural levels. Together, these components form a comprehensive foundation for analyzing, comparing, and generating narratives across media, cultures, and historical periods.</p>
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spellingShingle Toward a Unified Theory of Narrative Change: Layers, Values, Cognition, Media, and the Dynamics of Meaning Reconstruction
STUDENT, By
Narrative Change
Cognitive Narratology
Value Hierarchy
Meaning Reconstruction
Media Affordances
Narrative Theory
Cognitive Science
Affective Science
Cultural Psychology
Media Studies
<p>This work proposes a unified theory of narrative change that integrates structural, cognitive, emotional, cultural, and media‑based mechanisms into a single explanatory framework. The central claim is that narrative depth does not arise from techniques alone, but from the dynamic reconfiguration of cognition and values across multiple layers of story experience.</p> <p>The paper formalizes four interdependent layers of narrative change—world events, inner cognition, symbolic and relational meaning, and civilizational or ontological assumptions—and maps them onto a corresponding hierarchy of human values. A minimal axiom for generating subsequent chapters is introduced: a narrative progresses when a character or reader perceives that some state has changed, whether or not the change is objectively real. This axiom is grounded in contemporary research on event cognition, prediction error, schema updating, and meaning‑making.</p> <p>The theory further distinguishes deep, middle, and surface strata of narrative, emphasizing that surface media—including fireworks, projection mapping, virtual reality, and AI‑generated artifacts—should be treated as legitimate expressive materials that shape the concrete narrative moments capable of moving human emotion. A principle of “information entropy and diversity maximization” is proposed to expand the space of possible narrative developments and to support systematic enumeration of story changes.</p> <p>The appendices provide extensive taxonomies of narrative change at macro, micro, and deep cultural levels. Together, these components form a comprehensive foundation for analyzing, comparing, and generating narratives across media, cultures, and historical periods.</p>
title Toward a Unified Theory of Narrative Change: Layers, Values, Cognition, Media, and the Dynamics of Meaning Reconstruction
topic Narrative Change
Cognitive Narratology
Value Hierarchy
Meaning Reconstruction
Media Affordances
Narrative Theory
Cognitive Science
Affective Science
Cultural Psychology
Media Studies
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19013934