Glossary // Glossary term Theoretical
Identity fusion
A form of alignment with a group involving a visceral feeling of oneness, in which the boundary between personal and social identity becomes highly permeable. Swann and colleagues distinguish local fusion with small groups such as families from extended fusion with large collectives, and report that fusion measures are strong predictors of endorsement of extreme pro-group behaviour. Much of the evidence comes from self-reported willingness rather than observed behaviour, and the construct is relevant both to solidarity and to willingness to fight for a group. What moving in time with others does to people: evidence that synchrony increases affiliation and cooperation, that group dance raises pain thresholds, and that musical peaks engage the brain's reward system. The works the definition rests on, with the level of evidence each was appraised at. (2012). When group membership gets personal: A theory of identity fusion. doi:10.1037/a0028589 Supports the definition of identity fusion, the local–extended distinction, and the report that fusion measures predict endorsement of extreme pro-group behaviour. A review by the theory's proponents; outcomes are often hypothetical self-reports.Where the site uses it
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