Experts say they may increase enjoyment of entertainment

NEW YORK - If you tend to get angry when someone spoils the plot of a movie or reveals the ending of a book, you shouldn't.

A new study by researchers from the University of California at San Diego shows spoilers may increase the enjoyment of works of art and entertainment, even of works of suspense.

After studying three types of stories those with ironic twists, those that make claims to being high literature and mysteries by authors such as John Updike, Roald Dahl and Agatha Christie, the researchers found readers prefer versions that include a paragraph that spoils the ending of a story.

"I was quite surprised by the results," Nicholas Christenfeld, a researcher, said in an interview. "Like most people, I don't turn to the end of a book to see who dies or what happens."

Each story used in the study was read by as many as 30 people and presented in two formats in both the original version and in one including a paragraph that gives away the ending.

Readers of all three story types preferred the spoiled versions of the stories more than the unspoiled originals.

"Plots are just excuses for great writing," Christenfeld explained. "Nonetheless, plots are important, like a skeleton or a coat hanger. You need it to display the things that are important, but the plot itself isn't critical."

Christenfeld said in many cases a book or movie can be re-read or seen more than once and still be enjoyable.

"As a film director, your job isn't really to come to the conclusion that the butler did it," he said. "A single line would do that."

Once viewers know the ending of a film, they may want to watch it again to see things that had meaning or didn't have meaning the first time around.

The researchers said the study, which will be published in the journal Psychological Science, revealed that success in entertainment does not come solely from the ability to provoke a feeling of suspense.

"Stories are a universal element of human culture, the backbone of the billion-dollar entertainment industry, and the medium through which religion and societal values are transmitted," they wrote in the report.

Christenfeld and his co-author, Jonathan Leavitt, added that the findings could mean that commonly held notions about suspense may also be incorrect.

"Perhaps," they said in the study, "birthday presents are better when wrapped in cellophane and engagement rings are better when not concealed in chocolate mousse."

Reuters

(China Daily 08/15/2011 page10)