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Strongly fused individuals feel viscerally responsible to self‐sacrifice
Author(s) -
Chinchilla Juana,
Vázquez Alexandra,
Gómez Ángel
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1111/bjso.12526
Subject(s) - sacrifice , psychology , feeling , social psychology , instinct , ingroups and outgroups , identity (music) , social identity theory , prosocial behavior , group (periodic table) , social group , theology , aesthetics , philosophy , evolutionary biology , biology , chemistry , organic chemistry
Identity fusion is a visceral feeling of oneness that predicts extreme behaviour on behalf of the target of fusion. We propose that strongly fused individuals are characterized by feelings of visceral responsibility towards such target – unconditional, instinctive, and impulsive drive to care, protect and promote its well‐being and interests – that motivates them to self‐sacrifice. Two studies offered initial support when the target of fusion is an individual or a group (Studies 1a‐1b). A final study added causal evidence that strongly fused learning that most ingroup members did not feel visceral responsibility towards the group expressed less willingness to self‐sacrifice than those learning that ingroup members display high levels of visceral responsibility (Study 2). These findings offer novel evidence for the mechanisms underlying the effects of fusion on extreme behaviour on behalf of the target of fusion and the attenuation of its consequences.