Understandably you’d think there’s something to the suspense of not knowing the outcome of a story.

And often getting “spoiled” ruins the suspense you might have otherwise enjoyed. However despite the lengths some might go to not get “spoiled” on a given movie or television show, few seem to consider our ability to return to a favorite book, or re-watch something numerous times with undiminished pleasure. So is there something to the idea that a suspenseful outcome may not be critical to your enjoyment of the story?

A recent study at University of California, San Diego seems to suggest that knowing the twists and turns of a story in advance can instead heighten the audience’s appreciation of the story being told. Being “spoilt” might actually allow for a deeper anticipation as the events to unfold.

I’ve always been an advocate – especially because of the gaming that I do – for knowing, and don’t always mind if some part of the story gets “spoilt” as I often appreciate the story on a variety of levels. Soundtracks for example can make or even break a movie for me. A friend of ours even needs to check the story out, so he doesn’t get attached to anyone who’s going to end up dead. So I’m sure there’s hundreds of reasons for why knowing can be a good thing.

But what do you think? Does “knowing” lessen your enjoyment?

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