Obando Yar Alejandra, Moret-Tatay Carmen, Esteve Rodrigo José Vicente
Doctoral School, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Valencia, Spain.
MEB Lab, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Valencia, Spain.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2025 May 19;19:1569170. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1569170. eCollection 2025.
Understanding how humans perceive and engage with fictional characters-particularly antagonists-offers valuable insights into narrative comprehension and moral cognition. Antagonists, as morally complex figures, challenge readers' ethical frameworks and stimulate affective and cognitive responses. This review aims to synthesize current research on the neural mechanisms involved in the perception and evaluation of antagonistic characters in narrative contexts.
This systematic review analyzed findings from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating brain activity during narrative processing, with a focus on moral and emotional evaluations of fictional antagonists. Studies were selected based on relevance, methodological rigor, and use of narrative-based stimuli. Key variables included participant demographics, types of antagonists, and narrative formats used in experimental paradigms.
Findings indicate that the default mode network (DMN), particularly the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), is consistently activated during moral and emotional evaluations of characters. Neural synchronization in areas such as the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) suggests that character relatability significantly influences engagement and brain activity. Variations across studies point to the influence of narrative style and participant background on neural responses.
The evidence highlights the central role of the DMN in processing complex moral narratives and suggests that engagement with antagonistic characters involves both emotional resonance and ethical judgment. However, the generalizability of findings is limited by factors such as a lack of demographic diversity and inconsistent experimental designs. Future research should prioritize ecologically valid methodologies and diverse participant samples. This review emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary approaches combining neuroscience, psychology, and literary studies to deepen our understanding of narrative engagement.
了解人类如何感知虚构角色并与之互动，尤其是反派角色，能为叙事理解和道德认知提供宝贵见解。反派角色作为道德复杂的人物，挑战读者的道德框架并激发情感和认知反应。本综述旨在综合当前关于叙事语境中反派角色感知与评价所涉及神经机制的研究。
本系统综述分析了功能磁共振成像（fMRI）研究的结果，这些研究调查了叙事过程中的大脑活动，重点是对虚构反派的道德和情感评价。根据相关性、方法严谨性以及基于叙事的刺激的使用来选择研究。关键变量包括参与者的人口统计学特征、反派类型以及实验范式中使用的叙事形式。
研究结果表明，默认模式网络（DMN），特别是内侧前额叶皮层（mPFC），在对角色的道德和情感评价过程中持续被激活。额下回（IFG）和前扣带回皮层（ACC）等区域的神经同步表明，角色的可关联性显著影响参与度和大脑活动。研究间的差异表明叙事风格和参与者背景对神经反应的影响。
证据凸显了DMN在处理复杂道德叙事中的核心作用，并表明与反派角色的互动涉及情感共鸣和道德判断。然而，研究结果的普遍性受到诸如缺乏人口统计学多样性和实验设计不一致等因素的限制。未来的研究应优先采用生态有效的方法和多样化的参与者样本。本综述强调需要结合神经科学、心理学和文学研究的跨学科方法，以加深我们对叙事参与的理解。
