Exploring the relationship between fusion with a cause and essentialist thinking

Some people become so deeply bonded to various causes that their beliefs define who they are. This deep bond with causes can be understood within a framework of identity fusion. When individuals view a cause as a self-defining aspect of their identity, they feel a sense of underlying similarity—or shared essence—with other cause supporters based on their common beliefs. Because strongly fused individuals feel essentially similar to fellow cause supporters, they may likewise essentialize opponents of the cause by categorizing them into distinct “natural kinds” based on their ideological stance toward the cause. This tendency for essentialist thinking leads strongly fused individuals to discriminate against people who hold opposing beliefs about the cause. To test these ideas, I conducted 6 studies. Two studies showed that fusion with a cause predicted the tendency to essentialize others based on their sentiments toward the cause with which participants were fused (Study 1), but not other causes (Study 2). Three follow-up studies (Studies 3-5) demonstrated that fusion with a cause predicted discrimination against cause opponents, and that this effect was mediated by essentialist beliefs. Study 5 also showed that strongly fused individuals demonstrated intentions to attend events where they could antagonize cause opponents. Study 6 showed that fusion with a cause predicted political voting behaviors, but not as strongly as fusion with political party. Collectively, these studies identified a class of individuals who were prone to discrimination on the basis of ideology and the cognitive underpinnings of this predisposition.

Author dc:creator

• Fraser, William Thomas, IV

Contributors dc:contributor

• Swann, William B.
• Josephs, Robert A
• Henderson, Marlone D
• Gomez, Angel

• Identity fusion
• Essentialism
• Cause
• Discrimination

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2152/68265

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:tdl-ir.tdl.org:2152/68265