Summary of the paper:
Introduction
Humans are driven by a need for social connection
Evolved internal mechanisms that propel modern humans to form and join collectives
The desire for collective bonds leads people to easily assimilate collective identities, even on the basis of the most minimal criteria
Hypothesis
Previous research demonstrates that there is a strong human desire to belong to collectives and that people easily assimilate collective identities
Goal of the study: propose and examine the narrative collective-assimilation hypothesis the hypothesis that experiencing a narrative leads to psychological assimilation of the collective described within the narrative
Methodology
Methodology: Quantitative research
Sample: 140 undergraduates
Participants were told that the purpose of the study was to examine people's responses to books and movies
Participants completed many questionnaires during this experiment including: the Collective and Relational Self-Construal Scale, an identity Implicit Association Test (IAT), the Transportation Scale, a five-item version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, a single-item life-satisfaction measure and questions about the books and participants' reading habits
Results
Higher (positive) IAT scores indicated stronger associations between the self and vampires
Lower (negative) IAT scores reflected stronger associations between the self and wizards
The narrative collective-assimilation hypothesis was confirmed
Discussion
The proposed narrative collective-assimilation hypothesis was supported by results for both explicit and implicit measures; participants who read the Harry Potter chapters associated themselves with wizards, whereas those who read the Twilight chapter associated themselves with vampires
This research complements and extends previous research on narratives and fulfilment of social needs as previous research demonstrated that social surrogates can provide symbolic relationship partners and remind one of existing relationships
The present research adds to what is known about the utility and availability of collective identities by demonstrating the ease and consequences of collective assimilation
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