Interestingness—A Neglected Variable in Discourse Processing

Abstract

Symptomatic of a contemporary concern with affective factors in cognitive processing, a corpus of research is now emerging on the role of interestingness in discourse processing. This research has concentrated on narrative prose and has adopted a structural approach, arguing for the centrality of event and discourse structure in producing an affect like interest. The authors point out that this approach considers only one type of interest—knowledge‐triggered—to the exclusion of another important type—value‐triggered. A more comprehensive understanding of interest will only be achieved by researching other genres, such as exposition, and by considering the multiple sources of interest‐producing conditions. We suggest the notion of “informational significance” as an inclusive term, and underline the need for a process‐based understanding of interest.