Exploring the origins of identity fusion: Shared emotional experience activates fusion with the group over time
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Collective rituals significantly increase identity fusion, a feeling of oneness with a group. This heightened sense of belonging, driven by emotional synchrony and kama muta, persists long after the event, fostering pro-group behavior.
Area Of Science
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Cultural Studies
Background
- Identity fusion, a profound sense of oneness with a group, strongly predicts extreme pro-group behavior.
- Existing research on the causes of identity fusion is limited, largely due to reliance on cross-sectional designs.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate the longitudinal development of identity fusion in response to a large-scale collective ritual.
- To explore the mediating roles of perceived emotional synchrony and kama muta in the relationship between ritual participation and identity fusion.
Main Methods
- Longitudinal study analyzing identity fusion at three time points: pre-ritual, immediately post-ritual, and 7 weeks post-ritual.
- Survey data collected from participants (N=748 pre, N=402 post, N=273 follow-up) of the Korrika collective ritual.
- Statistical analysis to examine the influence of behavioral involvement, perceived emotional synchrony, and kama muta on identity fusion.
Main Results
- A significant increase in the proportion of fused participants was observed immediately after the Korrika ritual, with this effect remaining stable for at least 7 weeks.
- Perceived emotional synchrony and kama muta mediated the effect of behavioral involvement on subsequent identity fusion.
- These mediating effects were significant only for participants not previously fused with the Korrika group.
Conclusions
- Collective rituals play a crucial role in the formation and maintenance of identity fusion.
- Emotional processes, specifically perceived emotional synchrony and kama muta, are key mechanisms driving identity fusion during collective events.
- The findings highlight the dynamic and evolving nature of group identity in response to shared experiences.
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