Literature is less emotional than in the past, study finds

A new study has shown that English literature has become less emotional than it used to be.

Researchers at the University of Bristol found that words describing emotional states were used much less frequently than earlier in the century.

The study authors said that difficult times in 20th century history tended to mean more negative emotional words in literature.

“We were initially surprised to see how well periods of positive and negative moods correlated with historical events,” said co-author Vasileios Lampos.

“The Second World War, for example, is marked by a distinct increase in words related to sadness, and a correspondent decrease in words related to joy.”

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The researchers also found that after the 1960s British and American literature split.

British lit had less emotions than its American counterpart.

They speculate that the divergence is tied to the economic prosperity the US faced after the Second World War.

In the UK, the postwar mood was more pessimistic and declinist.

Another thing the researchers found was that "fear" was used far more within literature beginning in the 1970s.