On the way to fusion through the pilgrims’ route: Factors that maintain identity fusion in collective rituals

Lobato, Roberto M.; Sainz, Mario

doi:10.1177/1368430219849690

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Our studies are not alone in reaching this conclusion. Lobato and Sainz (2019) observed participants' identity fusion after a pilgrimage, thus further confirming that costly rituals entail social cohesion. Long-term effects of social cohesion were not predicted by intrapersonal variables (material remembrances; symbolic memories; reminiscent thoughts) but well by contacts with other pilgrims.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Perceived Emotional Synchrony in Collective Gatherings: Validation of a Short Scale and Proposition of an Integrative Measure

et al. 2020

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Over the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in the relationship between participation in collective gatherings and rituals and different important psychosocial variables and processes, such as social sharing of emotions, group cohesion, identity fusion, prosocial tendencies and behaviors, and well-being (e.g., Rimé, 2009 ; Xygalatas et al., 2013 ; Khan et al., 2015 ; Páez et al., 2015 ). These studies, coming from different lines of research, have proposed diverse explanatory mechanisms to explain the positive social and psychological effects of collective gatherings. In the present article, we focus on one of these mechanisms, known as collective effervescence, emotional communion, emotional entrainment, or perceived emotional synchrony (PES). First, we briefly discuss current conceptions of the emotional states and experience during collective gatherings and what they bring to the definition of PES. We close this point by proposing an integrative definition of PES. Second, structural validity of the original PES scale is examined. Third, incremental validity of PES is examined in two longitudinal studies, particularly with respect to well-being. Finally, we propose an integrative short form of the PES Scale, which measures antecedents and behavioral effects of collective effervescence.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Perceived Emotional Synchrony in Collective Gatherings: Validation of a Short Scale and Proposition of an Integrative Measure

et al. 2020

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“…Other studies also found support for the idea that participating in collective gatherings, like folkloric marches and religious celebrations, could increase fusion (e.g., Páez, Rimé, Basabe, Wlodarcsyk, & Zumeta, 2015; Zumeta, Basabe, Wlodarczyk, Bobowik, & Páez, 2016). Finally, recent investigations show that engaging in ritual practices and recalling episodic memories of pilgrim's route contribute to maintain identity fusion (Lobato & Sainz, 2019).…”

Section: Main Advances and Discoveries Since 2015 For Identity Fusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent advances, misconceptions, untested assumptions, and future research agenda for identity fusion theory

Gómez

Chinchilla

Vázquez

et al. 2020

Social & Personality Psych

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Just a decade ago, two psychologists, Swann, and Gómez, developed a new theoretical framework to explain extreme pro-group behaviors: identity fusion theory. Identity fusion refers to a visceral feeling of oneness with a group that motivates individuals to do extraordinary self-sacrifices on behalf of the group or each of its members. Since the formulation of the theory, interdisciplinary researchers of the five continents have conducted dozens of studies on identity fusion, both in laboratory and field settings. Research has deepened into the causes, consequences, underlying mechanisms, and applications of identity fusion. The development of fusion-based research has been steadfast and very prolific. Hence, the first section of the current manuscript includes an updated overview of this fast growing literature. This increasing interest for the theory has, however, been accompanied by a series of misconceptions and untested research assumptions, which we address in the second and third sections of the paper, concluding with a final section suggesting a future research agenda. Our aim is to help those interested in knowing more about identity fusion or about the causal mechanisms that lead individuals to risk their life and personal well-being for a group discarding common misconceptions as well as formulating more precise and nuanced hypotheses for future research.

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“…In collective rituals, the social identity is enhanced leading to a high sense of belonging to the ingroup (Drury & Reicher, 2009;Khan et al, 2016) and to a fusion of one's personal identity with the ingroup identity (Lobato & Sainz, 2019). Fusion of identity goes beyond group identification, strengthening the social cohesion between members (Buhrmester et al, 2012).…”

Section: Collective Gatherings and Ritualsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nationalistic Collective Rituals, Intergroup Relations, and Legitimation of National Social Systems

Salfate¹,

Páez²,

Oriol³

et al. 2020

International Review of Social Psychology

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It was as if we had beaten a country, not just a football team… Although we had said before the game that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas war, we knew they had killed a lot of Argentine boys there, killed them like little birds. And this was revenge. (Diego Maradona, 2007) I hope that people can understand that football is a sport, not war […] The past is the past. We must not put sport in the middle of politics. Chile and Argentina are brother countries, we have to show mutual respect […] If we stoop to aggression and violence, we lose that message of respect. Sport is about trying to be healthy and having fun, not a war. (Javier Mascherano, 2015) The epigraph shows two perspectives on one of the most popular sports in Latin America and the rest of the world. In this article, we test related ideas based on literature on collective rituals, national identity, and social identity theory. Specifically, we explore if international football matches can be understood as a type of nationalistic collective ritual that can lead to prejudice toward immigrants and legitimation of national social systems. National identification, outgroup prejudice, and legitimation of national social systems According to social identity theory (Tajfel, 1974; Brown, 2000), individuals develop their individual and social identity in reference to the groups to which they belong (i.e., ingroups) pursuing a positive self-concept. The specific content of that identity is built on comparison to other groups (i.e., outgroups), which usually results in a positive ingroup evaluation regardless objective assessment. A behavioral consequence of this process is the so-called ingroup bias (Tajfel, 1969). The study of social identities can be applied to different social categories, including national identities (Staerkle et al., 2010; Vargas-Salfate, Liu & Gil de Zúñiga, 2019). In this context, based on self-categorization theory (Turner, Brown & Tajfel, 1979), we can expect that when national identification is salient, members from different ingroups in a given society will be less motivated to engage in social comparison processes within that society, and more motivated to compare themselves towards other national outgroups. This focus will result in a positive characterization of the national ingroup over the outgroups because individuals pursue a positive collective self-concept. In that

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On the way to fusion through the pilgrims’ route: Factors that maintain identity fusion in collective rituals

Cited by 13 publications

References 45 publications

Perceived Emotional Synchrony in Collective Gatherings: Validation of a Short Scale and Proposition of an Integrative Measure

Perceived Emotional Synchrony in Collective Gatherings: Validation of a Short Scale and Proposition of an Integrative Measure

Recent advances, misconceptions, untested assumptions, and future research agenda for identity fusion theory

Nationalistic Collective Rituals, Intergroup Relations, and Legitimation of National Social Systems

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