Open Notebook: Narrative Entropy (Sn) Operationalization Pilot Data

This open laboratory notebook contains the raw data of the v2.0 pilot study conducted on how to deterministically (quantifiably) measure the Narrative Entropy ($S_n$) metric, which is at the center of the Bulut Doctrine, directly from text.

Following a methodological objection raised on digital platforms (Reddit r/NarrativeEngineering), these counting tests were initiated to remove concepts such as "high potential energy" or "high complexity" from evaluator judgment and transform them into operationalizable procedures.

The dataset below is the first "Hard Counting" pilot study conducted by a single rater, aiming to test the assumptions of "minimalism" and "hyper-dialogue" in the literature through a measurement procedure.

1. Operationalization Criteria (Hard Counting)

The variables in the proposed approach $S_n \approx I_f \times C_b \times t$, which measures the structural complexity of texts, have been operationalized as follows:

• Duration ($t$): Estimated screen time for screenplays; theoretical reading time calculated with a 200 WPM assumption for prose.
• Information Friction ($I_f$): $I_f = (\text{New Information Unit} / t) \times (\text{Uncertainty Ratio})$. New information encompasses character, setting, or event references that appear for the first time in the text.
• Causal Branching ($C_b$): $C_b = (\text{Topic Shift} / t)$. It is the frequency of thematic shifts within the text.
• Spatial Matrix ($M$): As a result of this pilot study, the $M$ variable has been split into two: $M_p$ (Physical space constraint) and $M_n$ (Number of narrative/mental space references).

2. Tested Cases

In this pilot test, two narrative blocks considered structurally opposite to each other were compared:

• Quentin Tarantino — Reservoir Dogs (1992): Opening diner scene. (Multi-character, external dialogue-oriented.)
• Raymond Carver — Cathedral (1981): Opening narrative block (the first ~1500 words until the blind man enters the house). (Single-character, internal voice-oriented.)

3. Raw Data and Comparative Table

4. Observations and Unexpected Findings

The pilot test data yielded results contrary to initial expectations:

• Entropic load of the internal voice: Carver's Cathedral block generated a higher $S_n$ score (30.0 > 18.8) than Tarantino's 8-person dialogue scene. The primary reason for this is that the temporal jumps (15 time references) and topic shifts ($C_b = 2.53$) in the internal voice are higher than in the dialogue.
• Effect of channel count: The $I_f$ (Information Friction) values of the two texts were close to each other (1.71 and 1.58). This suggests that the current formula may be insufficient in measuring the cognitive load created by the number of simultaneous speakers (Person Count), or that the style termed "minimalism" might carry a high information density beneath the surface.

5. Limits of the Counting Protocol

In this pilot study, the definitions of "New Information Unit" and "Uncertainty Ratio" are operational decisions based on rater judgment. Without an inter-rater agreement test, the reproducibility level of these definitions remains unknown.

In the next stage, the same scenes will be counted by an independent second rater using the same criteria, and the agreement rate (Cohen's or Fleiss' Kappa) will be calculated. If kappa < 0.60, the counting criteria will be redefined and the protocol will be revised.

Additionally, the following points represent open methodological decisions:

• 200 WPM reading speed assumption (this may be debatable for dense prose like Carver's; a range of 160-180 WPM could also be defended)
• Definition of "topic shift" (on what basis is a thematic shift determined?)
• Criterion for "uncertain information" (how is unresolved information identified?)

Each of these three parameters will undergo the kappa test.

6. Limitations and Next Steps

This report is a pre-validation study. Before proceeding with any formula revision, the following methodological steps will be taken:

• Expansion of the dataset: Low-complexity action/exposition scenes (e.g., the Iron Man Humvee scene) and standard television sequences will be added to the dataset.
• Inter-rater agreement: The counting protocol will be repeated by an independent second rater, and the Fleiss/Cohen Kappa score (target > 0.60) will be reported.
• Biophysical validation: Text-based $S_n$ scores will be cross-tested in a laboratory environment with autonomic nervous system responses (HRV, EDA) on the reader/viewer.

The detailed guidelines of the counting protocol will be made available via open access on Zenodo in the coming days.

Would you like to contribute to this note? The search for an independent second rater is ongoing. Readers willing to perform counts on the same two scenes using the criteria above can reach out via the contact page. The counting results will be used in the kappa test, and contributing raters will be acknowledged as contributors in the resulting Zenodo note.