ABSTRACT
In addition to what people know about priming from cognitive science, contemporary rhetoricians have reached similar conclusions through their study of real-life arguments. Stories prime audience members to interpret information in particular ways, and stories prime audience members to feel a range of emotions. Just as some lawyers and judges frown on the use of story, some believe that emotion has no place in legal decision making, which instead is dictated by cold, rational logic. But neuroscience confirms that people cannot make decisions without emotion. The influence of different emotions on decision making is complex and still being carefully studied by psychologists. Negative emotions overall may have similar effects on decision makers, but different kinds of negative emotions can have different effects. An audience member who experiences sadness tends to attribute the events that occurred to the overall situation rather than to human actions.
