Bringing Narratives to Life: Animism, Totems, and Intangible Value

Existing research on narratives has found that simply telling a story about an object, such as a travel souvenir or a name brand product, can increase how much people value it. The present studies examine how the value supplied by narratives may differ, depending on the type of object that is described. Drawing on field data from eBay, as well as several experiments, the current studies find that narratives enhance value more when they are connected to objects that resemble living things versus objects that are plainly inanimate. This effect arises because animistic objects increase the extent to which people feel engaged in the story, which in turn enhances their value. This research provides insights into how narratives affect the subjective value of objects. It also connects to the work of early twentieth century scholars in psychology and anthropology, who discussed animistic totem objects as an important window into the nature of people’s intuitive psychology.