Narrative structure in virtual collaborative environments

Abstract

The ability to conceptualize the world in narrative form is one of the central characteristics of human intelligence. We are unique, both in our ability to form narratives, and in the degree with which we require them to organize our knowledge of the world. Artificial Intelligence has recognized the importance of narrative structure since its earliest days [1]. More recent work has demonstrated the role of narrative structure in the formation of scientific theories [2, 3], in machine learning [9], in shaping human-computer interaction [4], and in our understanding of virtual worlds [5].Narrative also plays an essential role in forming and sustaining communities. Shared narratives articulate the common goals and assumptions of a community, and define the space of choice and action for cooperative activity. Ever since people began carving stories of the hunt on cave walls, shared narratives have played a central role in defining the terms of community membership, in articulating a community's shared goals and values, and in setting the patterns according to which people behave and interact in a social context.In Computers as Theatre, Brenda Laurel demonstrates the similarities between human-computer interaction and the structure of improvisational theatre [4]. In both contexts, people determine their own actions, but do so within a framework of assumptions and possible actions. These frameworks are largely narrative in structure: they have a beginning, a set of actions in the middle, and an end when the goals of the interaction are achieved (or failure occurs). In improvisational theatre, actors improvise within the basic framework of a genre, be it comedy, mystery, farce, etc. Their improvisations usually follow the basic plot arc of the genre. Where they diverge from the genre's structure, audiences perceive the alteration as a counterpoint to their expectations: the genre's narrative structure still exerts its influence. Similarly, users of interactive software improvise their work within the structure of goals, actions and information afforded by the software interface.In describing her work on co-operative role-playing in a multi-user virtual environment, Raybourn [6] has remarked on the ease and enthusiasm with which users assume roles in a larger story context, and spontaneously play to the larger, stated goals and assumptions of the simulation. Turkle [7] confirms this insight and argues that personality itself becomes plastic and context dependent in MOOs and other virtual environments.