Roel M Willems
Biographic Data
| ID | 3466852 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Roel M Willems |
| GIVEN NAMES | Roel M |
| FAMILY NAME | Willems |
| SIGNATURE | WILLEMS R M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Radboud University Nijmegen |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4963-5387 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 9 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
“Memorable speech”
Ingredients of a Narrative
Situation models, mental representation of events that are unfolding in the environment, are known to help structure our experiences in our memory, but what exactly are the ingredients of a situation model and to what degree do abstract event features contribute to the updating cycle of a situation model? Here, we used an event card experiment in which we systematically manipulated abstract event feature dimensions (e.g., narrative X has a locati…
Emotions, fast and slow
Emotional words have consistently been shown to be processed differently than neutral words. However, few studies have examined individual variability in emotion word processing with longer, ecologically valid stimuli (beyond isolated words, sentences, or paragraphs). In the current study, we re-analysed eye-tracking data collected during story reading to reveal how individual differences in need for affect and narrative absorption impact the spe…
Reading short stories in a foreign language
Against the background of a decreasing interest in reading among Dutch adolescents, we investigated whether reading short stories in a foreign language other than English (i.e., German) in an educational context, as opposed to reading in the first language leads to less absorbing reading experiences and, related to that, lower appreciation of stories. We collected absorption and appreciation data from 277 learners of German in Grade 10 of Dutch s…
Engagement with narrative characters
This article explores the role of text and reader characteristics in character engagement experiences. In an online study, participants completed several self-report and behavioral measures of social-cognitive abilities and read two literary narratives in which the presence of linguistic viewpoint markers was varied using a highly controlled manipulation strategy. Afterward, participants reported on their character engagement experiences. A princ…
Reading about minds
It is often argued that narratives improve social cognition, either by appealing to social-cognitive abilities as we engage with the story world and its characters, or by conveying social knowledge. Empirical studies have found support for both a correlational and a causal link between exposure to (literary, fictional) narratives and social cognition. However, a series of failed replications has cast doubt on the robustness of these claims. Here,…
Lost in a Story, Detached from the Words
This article explores the relationship between low- and high-level aspects of reading by studying the interplay between word processing, as measured with eye tracking, and narrative absorption and liking, as measured with questionnaires. Specifically, we focused on how individual differences in sensitivity to lexical word characteristics—measured as the effect of these characteristics on gaze duration—were related to narrative absorption and liki…
Ridley, Rosalind. 2016. Peter Pan and the Mind of J. M. Barrie
Article Ridley, Rosalind. 2016. Peter Pan and the Mind of J. M. Barrie: An Exploration of Cognition and Consciousness. was published on April 1, 2017 in the journal Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture (volume 1, issue 1)
Individual Differences in Sensitivity to Style During Literary Reading
Style is an important aspect of literature, and stylistic deviations are sometimes labeled foregrounded, since their manner of expression deviates from the stylistic default. Russian Formalists have claimed that foregrounding increases processing demands and therefore causes slower reading – an effect called retardation. We tested this claim experimentally by having participants read short literary stories while measuring their eye movements. Our…
No prominent works on this page.
Individual Differences in Sensitivity to Style During Literary Reading
Style is an important aspect of literature, and stylistic deviations are sometimes labeled foregrounded, since their manner of expression deviates from the stylistic default. Russian Formalists have claimed that foregrounding increases processing demands and therefore causes slower reading – an effect called retardation. We tested this claim experimentally by having participants read short literary stories while measuring their eye movements. Our…
Ridley, Rosalind. 2016. Peter Pan and the Mind of J. M. Barrie
Article Ridley, Rosalind. 2016. Peter Pan and the Mind of J. M. Barrie: An Exploration of Cognition and Consciousness. was published on April 1, 2017 in the journal Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture (volume 1, issue 1)
Lost in a Story, Detached from the Words
This article explores the relationship between low- and high-level aspects of reading by studying the interplay between word processing, as measured with eye tracking, and narrative absorption and liking, as measured with questionnaires. Specifically, we focused on how individual differences in sensitivity to lexical word characteristics—measured as the effect of these characteristics on gaze duration—were related to narrative absorption and liki…
Reading about minds
It is often argued that narratives improve social cognition, either by appealing to social-cognitive abilities as we engage with the story world and its characters, or by conveying social knowledge. Empirical studies have found support for both a correlational and a causal link between exposure to (literary, fictional) narratives and social cognition. However, a series of failed replications has cast doubt on the robustness of these claims. Here,…
Emotions, fast and slow
Emotional words have consistently been shown to be processed differently than neutral words. However, few studies have examined individual variability in emotion word processing with longer, ecologically valid stimuli (beyond isolated words, sentences, or paragraphs). In the current study, we re-analysed eye-tracking data collected during story reading to reveal how individual differences in need for affect and narrative absorption impact the spe…
Reading short stories in a foreign language
Against the background of a decreasing interest in reading among Dutch adolescents, we investigated whether reading short stories in a foreign language other than English (i.e., German) in an educational context, as opposed to reading in the first language leads to less absorbing reading experiences and, related to that, lower appreciation of stories. We collected absorption and appreciation data from 277 learners of German in Grade 10 of Dutch s…
Engagement with narrative characters
This article explores the role of text and reader characteristics in character engagement experiences. In an online study, participants completed several self-report and behavioral measures of social-cognitive abilities and read two literary narratives in which the presence of linguistic viewpoint markers was varied using a highly controlled manipulation strategy. Afterward, participants reported on their character engagement experiences. A princ…
“Memorable speech”
Ingredients of a Narrative
Situation models, mental representation of events that are unfolding in the environment, are known to help structure our experiences in our memory, but what exactly are the ingredients of a situation model and to what degree do abstract event features contribute to the updating cycle of a situation model? Here, we used an event card experiment in which we systematically manipulated abstract event feature dimensions (e.g., narrative X has a locati…
Psychology (7 works) · Linguistics (6 works) · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition (5 works) · Narrative (5 works) · Cognition (4 works) · Cognitive psychology (4 works) · Media Influence and Health (4 works) · Art (3 works) · Computer Science (3 works) · Literature (3 works)