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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 20, 2025

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios

Published on: August 4, 2023

Socioecology and fiction.

Nicholas Buttrick¹, Shigehiro Oishi²

¹School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USAbuttrick@princeton.eduwww.nickbuttrick.com.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences

|November 17, 2022

Summary

Imaginary world creation may not stem from exploration drives. Instead, cultural popularity of imagined spaces could be influenced by residential mobility and socioecological factors.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Science
Cultural Anthropology
Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

The creation and appreciation of imaginary worlds are often linked to an innate human drive for exploration.
However, alternative explanations for engagement with fictional realities remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To challenge the assumption that imaginary world enjoyment necessitates an evolved preference for exploration.
To propose that socioecological factors, particularly residential mobility, significantly shape the popularity of imagined spaces.

Main Methods:

This study presents a theoretical argument.
It synthesizes existing research from evolutionary psychology, anthropology, and sociology.
It proposes a novel hypothesis linking cultural phenomena to environmental influences.

Main Results:

The enjoyment of imaginary worlds is not exclusively dependent on an evolved exploratory drive.
Cultural elements, including the appeal of imagined spaces, are significantly influenced by socioecological conditions.
Residential mobility emerges as a key hypothesized factor in the popularity of fictional settings.

Conclusions:

The generation and consumption of imaginary worlds can be understood through socioecological lenses, not solely evolutionary ones.
Residential mobility offers a promising avenue for research into cultural preferences for imagined realities.
Future research should investigate the empirical relationship between mobility patterns and engagement with fictional worlds.