Productive practice-driven fictopoeisis-based bibliotherapy

Psychotherapeutic learning from future-oriented stories authored by others

In a previous article I provided background on the 4S (Society for Social Studies of Science) conference in Toronto in October panel (198), Fictopoeisis: Fiction as Research for Sociotechnical Futures) and my anticipated submission to it. Here is a draft of my abstract for this panel.

Fictopoeisis is the creation or reading of forward-looking stories, stories with which to think, explore, create, and experience future worlds and peoples to come. One can “consume” fictopoeitic works created by oneself or others. Story-based bibliotherapy is a form of self-directed or therapist-assisted therapy that utilizes stories of others. This presentation will focus on bibliotherapy utilizing fictopoeitic works created by others. In the Knowledge Age people process so much information, be it fiction or non-fiction, that it is difficult to learn from any such information. Productive practice is a form of spaced learning involving posing challenges (questions, etc.) and answering them at spaced-learning using flashcard software such as Anki and Remnote. It is a form of learning based on research on deliberate practice (expertise), memory retrieval and testing effects, and test-enhanced learning. According to the heuristic relevance-signaling hypothesis, which is based on the foregoing cognitive science literature, information is more likely not to remain inert but to be psychologically accessible if one practices retrieving and utilizing the information at spaced intervals. We will explore how cognitive-behavioral and metacognitive therapy homework can involve productive practice of fictopoeitic works. This will draw on my two Cognitive Productivity and Discontinuities: Love, Art, Mind books.

I welcome feedback on this draft. The deadline for submission is April 30 2026.