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The Conversation USA

The allure of the ad-lib: New research identifies why people prefer spontaneity in entertainment

  • Written by Jacqueline Rifkin, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Cornell University
imageWhat makes improvised stage patter more appealing than a canned script?FangXiaNuo/E+ via Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Audiences love to see athletes and entertainers behaving spontaneously, according to our recent research, because ad-libbed lines, spectacular catches, improvised set...

Read more: The allure of the ad-lib: New research identifies why people prefer spontaneity in entertainment

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