Being in a crowd bonds people via physiological synchrony
Collective events can generate intense emotions, shape group identities, and forge strong bonds. Do these effects extend to remote participation, and what are some of the key mechanisms underpinning their social power? We monitored psychophysiological activity among groups of basketball fans who eit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2022
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| Summary: | Collective events can generate intense emotions, shape group identities, and forge strong bonds. Do these effects extend to remote participation, and what are some of the key mechanisms underpinning their social power? We monitored psychophysiological activity among groups of basketball fans who either attended games in the stadium or watched them live in small groups on television. In-person attendance was associated with greater synchronicity in autonomic system activation at the group level, which resulted in more transformative experiences and contributed to stronger identity fusion. Our findings suggest that the social effects of sports depend substantially on the inter-personal dynamics unfolding among fans rather than being prompted merely by watching the game itself. Given the increasing prevalence of virtual experiences, this has potentially wide-reaching implications for many domains of collective human interaction. |
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