Stephen Reysen

East Texas A&M University

In three studies we examined lay definitions of cultural appropriation in U.S. community and college student samples. In a fourth study we examined correlates of perceptions of cultural appropriation. Using community and undergraduate student samples (Studies 1-2), and popular media articles (Study 3) we examined definitions of cultural appropriati...

Anime/manga (Japanese animation and comics) have been increasing in popularity worldwide for decades. But despite being a global phenomenon, there’s been surprisingly little psychological research formally studying its devoted fanbase. In this book we aim to do just that with an overview of nearly a decade of research by fan psychologists. Otaku an...

Researchers across disciplines have been studying the psychology of fans for decades. Seeking to better understand fan behavior and the various factors motivating fans, researchers have studied dozens of variables in hundreds of studies of different fan groups. To date, however, there have been relatively few attempts to integrate this sizable body...

This book explores the impact of globalization on self and identity from multidisciplinary perspectives. Chapters cover a variety of topics including the impact of cultural inertia on intergroup relations, global consumer identity, radicalization, evolving national identities, young people’s negotiations of different cultural identities, the emerge...

Ever wonder what makes furries tick? Those weird and wonderful folks with their colorful ears, paws, and tails? The people who draw comics, watch cartoons, and write stories about walking, talking animals? Yeah, what’s that all about? Join the Furscience team as we take you on a journey through more than a decade worth of data on the furry fandom...

The present study examines the associations between identifying as a global citizen, theory of planned behavior, and intentions to support social justice initiatives. Participants completed measures regarding their perception of feeling connected to the world as a whole, social justice attitudes, subjective norms of supporting social justice initia...

Transhumanism is a school of thought that promotes the enhancement of humanity through technological intervention (e.g., cloning, gene therapies, uploading one’s mind to a computer, nanotechnology). Due to its aims of altering evolutionary processes (Bostrom, 2005), transhumanism is highly controversial (Sinicki, 2015). The ideology finds support f...

Research suggests that people at the interface of two different cultures may face a dilemma regarding how or whether to adopt aspects of the new culture in light of their existing cultural identity. A growing body of research in fan communities suggests that similar group processes may operate in recreational, volitional identities. We tested this...

The importance of social interaction on well-being has been investigated in a variety of social psychological domains (e.g., homelessness, addiction, and immigration); however, little research has been conducted on the associations between social motivation, community, and well-being within BDSM/kink practitioners. Previous literature has found tha...

Prior research demonstrates that a relationship exists between fan identification and psychological well-being. In the present research, we attempted to both conceptually replicate this finding, testing its generalizability in different fan groups and measured in different contexts, as well as extend it by testing whether fan friendships (Study 1)...

Cosplay, a portmanteau of the words ‘costume’ and ‘roleplay’, involves fans dressing up and acting out fictional characters, usually at fan-themed events. Previous research on cosplay and well-being has found that people who cosplay, compared to non-cosplaying anime fans, experience more positive well-being, in part because they are more likely to...

This paper documents a case study of how academics can use traditional research and non-traditional knowledge mobilization to improve the dissemination of findings related to stigmatized communities. The International Anthropomorphic Research Project (IARP) used peer-reviewed scholarship to challenge pervasive media misconceptions and misinformatio...

In the present chapter we review the history of the formation of the international anthropomorphic research project.

In the present chapter, we delve into the implications of a social identity approach for studying fans. Next, we make an important theoretical distinction by splitting the concept of fan identity into two parts, fanship, and fandom. Lastly, we illustrate the importance of thinking about fanship and fandom as separate facets of fan identity by showi...

In the present chapter, we dive into some research to better understand both what furries consume (and how much of it they consume relative to other fan groups) and what predicts their fan-related consumption habits. First, we review the various fan activities that furries engage in—including consuming fan-related artifacts—to see how much particul...

In the present chapter, we start with a brief overview of some of the different media genres that furries prefer. Next, we delve into some of the more unique aspects or idiosyncrasies of specific subgroups in the furry fandom to see how belonging to one subgroup or another might say a bit about who furries are. Lastly, we briefly talk about hierarc...

In this chapter, we put on our personality psychologist hats and look at individual differences: what is it that makes one person different from another, that makes them react differently from another person in the same situation?

To understand what drives furries, in the present chapter, we first examine what leads furries to the furry fandom. Next, we discuss some of the ways psychologists study motivation, with an emphasis on fan studies, and see how we’ve been able to apply some of these concepts to the furry fandom. We then finish up the chapter by talking about furries...

In this chapter, we focus our attention on what it means for furries to be stigmatized. We begin by laying out evidence—beyond anecdotes from headlines and violent rhetoric from online forums—showing that furries are stigmatized and recognize this stigma. Next, we describe research showing some of the reasons why furries are stigmatized as well as...

We begin this chapter with a short introduction to well-being and how to measure it. Next, we compare furries to other groups on measures of well-being. Finally, we discuss the prevalence of mental illness in furries and how it stacks up against other fandoms before briefly considering some of the variables that help us predict which furries tend t...

The internet is often thought of as a democratizer, enabling equality in aspects such as pay, as well as a tool introducing novel communication and monetization opportunities. In this study we examine athletes on Cameo, a website that enables bi-directional fan-celebrity interactions, questioning whether the well-documented gender pay gaps in sport...

Göbekli Tepe is an archaeological site that has challenged much prior thought on human history with respect to our Neolithic revolution from animistic, egalitarian, hunter-gatherers to settled, socially stratified, and religious peoples. In the present paper we review the structures and possible purposes of Göbekli Tepe, summarize past consideratio...

The Star Wars sequel trilogy stirred up controversy in the Star Wars fanbase as racist and sexist comments regarding the new characters plagued forums and discussion boards. Critics of the new cast insisted that the new, diverse characters were poorly written or bland, while their detractors accused their criticism of being motivated by sexist and...

In the present article, we discuss the results of a cross-sectional study assessing prejudice toward fans perceived as having nonprototypical interests. Drawing upon previous research on prototypicality, on the role of negative affect and beliefs in fostering prejudice, and on prejudice directed toward particular fan cultures, we developed and test...

In the present research we test the veracity of 36 stereotypes of otaku that have appeared in definitions and descriptions of otaku in various academic publications. We surveyed anime fans and examined differences between otaku and non-otaku fans, as well as gauge where fans fell on measures regarding each stereotype. Self-identified otaku tended t...

Ongoing research about the pandemic has shown how stress about COVID-19 and its resulting lockdowns have been detrimental to our collective well-being. Studies on how people cope with stressful situations suggests that problem-focused coping strategies are especially effective, while other studies suggest that people often turn to their social supp...

In the present research, we examine what it means for fans to take their interests "too far" in a multi-fandom, qualitative study. Specifically, we asked self-identified anime fans, furries, and Star Wars fans to describe what, to them, marked the point where a fan could be said to be taking their interest too far. From these responses we extracted...

Prior research, predominantly focusing on Western fans, has found that the anime fandom is comprised of a majority of males (Reysen, Plante, Roberts, Gerbasi, Mohebpour, & Gamboa, 2016). In the present research we assessed whether this tendency held true in a Filipino and US samples. Specifically, Filipino and US college students completed measures...

Prior research, predominantly focusing on Western fans, has found that the anime fandom is comprised of a majority of males (Reysen, Plante, Roberts, Gerbasi, Mohebpour, & Gamboa, 2016). In the present research we assessed whether this tendency held true in a Filipino and US samples. Specifically, Filipino and US college students completed measures...

In the present research, we examine what it means for fans to take their interests “too far” in a multi-fandom, qualitative study. Specifically, we asked self-identified anime fans, furries, and Star Wars fans to describe what, to them, marked the point where a fan could be said to be taking their interest too far. From these responses we extracted...

Ongoing research about the pandemic has shown how stress about COVID-19 and its resulting lockdowns have been detrimental to our collective well-being. Studies on how people cope with stressful situations suggests that problem-focused coping strategies are especially effective, while other studies suggest that people often turn to their social supp...

In the present research we test the veracity of 36 stereotypes of otaku that have appeared in definitions and descriptions of otaku in various academic publications. We surveyed anime fans and examined differences between otaku and non-otaku fans, as well as gauge where fans fell on measures regarding each stereotype. Self-identified otaku tended t...

Dating app users are likely to experience a high frequency of viewing the sexually explicit material of potential partners prior to a physical meeting. The present study aimed to investigate what information is inferred from a picture of a penis at zero-acquaintance. Past research in impression formation at zero-acquaintance has demonstrated a stab...

The purpose of the present study was to examine associations between heterosexual consensually non-monogamous (CNM) and monogamous relationships and variables relating to relationship functioning and individual well-being. Participants (N = 555) were solicited online and asked to rate a number of items regarding their type of relationship, satisfac...

We examined whether intragroup helping mediates the relationship between identification with one’s fandom and self-esteem and psychological well-being in three different samples of fans: bronies (fans of the television series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), anime fans (fans of Japanese animation and graphic novels), and furries (fans of anthr...

In the present chapter we highlight overarching themes that emerged in the preceding chapters and suggest future directions. Beginning with a discussion of global education and the emergence of global citizen identity, we note issues with measurement but also the benefits of global identification. Next, we define and elaborate on national identity,...

In the present chapter we highlight the difficulty in defining and measuring globalization. Globalization can lead to uncertainty in individuals given the scale and pace of change. We discuss how this impacts individuals regarding reactions such as greater ingroup identification to mitigate uncertainty. We then discuss the approach to the book and...

The present chapter provides an update to previously published reviews of global identities (McFarland et al., 2019; Reysen & Katzarska-Miller, 2015, 2018) with a focus on how globalization is connected to viewing the self as part of a global community. The results across various studies of global identities tend to show that greater identification...

Furries can be described as a mediacentric fandom, similar to other fandoms, which organizes around an interest in anthropomorphic art. Past research has also aimed to highlight and understand the sexual motivations of furries, leading to questions regarding the relative strength of fandom and sexual motivations for joining and maintaining membersh...

In the present study, we investigated the influence of religious attitudes on a model of antecedents, identification, and outcomes of global citizenship using predictive quantitative tools. A total of 2,694 university students were recruited from two campuses of a large state university in southern Philippines and completed measures regarding relig...

With the recent rise of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement limited empirical research has been conducted examining knowledge of and attitudes toward this group, especially of that held by college students. College students have been a major force in overt activism related to the movement, and university communities tend to reflect many of the qu...

In the present research we tested a mediation model of multiple fandom membership on loneliness through perceived permeability of group boundaries in a sample of bronies. The results suggested that bronies with greater fandom membership experienced less loneliness through viewing it as relatively easy to leave the community. The results highlight t...

Responding to emerging ecotheologies, we articulated a new environmental construct distinct from previous environmental measures which largely follow developmental models. In the present study we developed and reviewed the psychometric properties of the Christian Environmentalism Scale ( CES ) initially in three dimensions from 970 youth participan...

We examined when and why individuals spontaneously used shared humanity arguments. Participants (undergraduate college students in the U.S. around 20 years of age) writing in support (vs. non-support) of gays and lesbians (Study 1), writing in support of a marginalized (vs. dominant) group (Study 2), and writing in support of a marginalized group f...

Global citizenship identification is associated with a variety of prosocial beliefs (e.g., social justice, valuing diversity) and behaviors (e.g., environmentally sustainable behaviors, intergroup helping). We report the results of 11 studies in which we attempted to shift participants’ degree of global citizenship identification (e.g., educational...

The present study examined the utilization of Clery Act information by college students. Results from 107 students indicated that awareness of the Clery Act and knowledge of crime log information was lacking. Using an experimental design, study participants demonstrated potential benefits from exposure to information about campus crimes. This sugge...

In the present study we examine comparatively variations in religious attitudes between university students in terms of university type (Private and Public) and location (urban and provincial). Respondents (N = 3,648) are taken from two State universities (urban and provincial) and two private universities (urban and provincial) in the Philippines...

For the past ten years, the authors have been researching what predicts viewing the self as a global citizen and the subsequent outcomes. We define global citizenship as “global awareness, caring, embracing cultural diversity, promoting social justice and sustainability, and a sense of responsibility to act” (Reysen et al., 2012, p. 29). In the rem...

In the present study, we examined the relationship between academic entitlement, nomophobia, and cellular phone usage during class. Students reported the amount of time spent on their phones during class, frequency of checking phones during class, academic entitlement, and dimensions of nomophobia (cell phone addiction). Academic entitlement and so...

Uncivil behavior has recently been a topic of concern within university campuses. Administration, faculty, and students are all subject to engage or experience uncivil conduct. Academic civility is a fundamental variable to establish a positive university environment and teaching-learning outcomes. Objective: The present paper analyzes the concept...

In the present study, we examined the psychometric properties of the Teacher Accompaniment Scale (TAS) for senior high and college students from eight schools in Manila. We investigated the empirical basis to develop a reliable measure that assesses student attitudes towards teacher accompaniment. Participants included 1,618 Grade 12 senior high st...

Researchers have noted an association between maturity and well-being. However, this body of research uses different measures and conceptualizations of maturity (e.g., ego development, psychosocial maturity) and often only a few indicators of well-being. In the present research, we examined associations between a single self-rated measure of maturi...

In the present article we discuss three studies aimed at better understanding elitism in the context of fan groups. The studies assess different facets of elitism, predictors of elitism and the potential outcomes associated with holding elitist beliefs. The survey studies were conducted on members of three distinct fan groups: furries (fans of medi...

We examined cosplaying and non-cosplaying anime fans' involvement in anime fandom drama, along with potential mediators underlying these differences. Anime fans completed a survey that included measures of cosplay participation, engaging with others within the context of the anime fandom, need to belong, and involvement in fandom drama. The results...

In the present study, we examined the associations between sources of influence (anime content, anime creators, voice actors, other fans) within the anime fandom on a model of the antecedents and outcomes of global citizenship identification. Anime fans completed measures assessing sources of influence within the anime fandom and antecedents and ou...

In the present study, we explored the associations between dimensions of parasocial connection and sex differences in connection of anime fans' favorite character. Anime fans listed their favorite anime character and rated dimensions of parasocial connection. Male and female fans did not differ in their choice of either male or female favorite char...

Fan groups are communities which develop a shared identity around a specific topic or idea. Hentai fans identify as part of a group which celebrates a medium of illustrated or animated pornography. We examined the associations between hentai fan membership, feelings of ingroup identification, and perceptions of discrimination both toward themselves...

In the present research, we examined associations between perceived impact of globalization and global citizenship identification. We constructed a single-item measure of perceived impact of globalization (SIPIG) and tested its convergent and divergent validity (Study 1). The SIPIG showed adequate test-retest reliability in a sample of students (St...

In the present chapter we review research examining identification with inclusive global categories (e.g., global citizenship, global identity, world-mindedness) and their association with activism. After a short review of definitions of activism and collective action and relevant theories we discuss the widely used social identity approach to grou...

In the present chapter we examine furries’ perceptions of drama within the fandom. Furries were asked to provide their own definition of fandom drama. The responses allowed us to extract three common themes: (1) drama involves interpersonal conflict, (2) drama involves a disproportionate escalation or overreaction to that conflict, and (3) drama in...

In the present chapter, we give a brief overview of existing psychological research on dreams, the development of the furry dream project, and some of our preliminary findings from dreams collected at Anthrocon 2017. We answer questions such as: “Do furries’ dreams include more animal- or furry-themed content?” and “Does this change when furries at...

In the present chapter we explore attitudes toward and prevalence of various sexual orientations within the furry fandom. We surveyed furries regarding their opinions of expressing sexual orientation in the furry fandom and how that differs from other fandoms. Responses suggest that it is easier to express non-mainstream sexual orientations in the...

In the present chapter we explore how wide-spread anthropomorphic and zoomorphic characters are across different cultures and historical time periods. We argue that anthropomorphic characters are actually the norm, rather than the exception, embedded as they are throughout human civilization. Examples include the Egyptian Pantheon (e.g., Amun, Re,...

In the present chapter we present an overview of research regarding fursonas from the International Anthropomorphic Research Project—also known as FurScience. Fursonas—anthropomorphic animal representations of the self—are nearly universal within the furry fandom. We examine the most popular species, why they are chosen, and how they are viewed by...

In the present chapter we provide a brief summary of some of the more interesting comparisons we have observed between various fan groups over the past few years. We begin by talking about fairly superficial differences in the norms and content consumption of these fandoms before delving deeper into personality differences and differences in the tr...

Unequivocally, repeated investigations have demonstrated that religious identification is predictive of wellbeing. However, it is well acknowledged that how an individual is religious may greatly affect the religious identification and wellbeing relationship. That is, an individual’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors towards the transcendent may sh...

In the present study we examined the relationship between felt stigma and fan group identification as well as potential mediators of this relationship. Fans of various interests (e.g., sport, music) completed measures regarding felt stigma toward the fan group, psychological needs obtained through group membership (e.g., self-esteem, belonging), an...

Furries are fans of anthropomorphic art and media. A unique component of the fandom is the creation of individualized fursonas – anthropomorphic animal-themed identities to represent oneself. In the present research, we examined the effects of experiencing a threat to one’s fandom-themed fantasy identity (fursona) or to oneself. Furries read about...

Background There is little reason to believe that fan-related personality tests, which tell fans what type of person they are based on their fa-vorite fan content, are valid or reliable. Nevertheless, fan-related personality tests remain incredibly popular online. Participants and procedure Building upon existing fan research, the present study te...

Ingroup projection is the tendency of ingroup members to project characteristics of their subgroup onto a larger superordinate category which can lead to bias favoring the ingroup over an outgroup. In the present research we examined ingroup projection as a mediator of the association between ingroup identification and ingroup bias in two fan commu...

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected and problems require complex, coordinated solutions, encouraging students' identification as global citizens becomes a priority. In the present article we review the concept of global citizenship and research related to education.

In the present research we provide preliminary evidence of the convergent and divergent validity, test-retest reliability, and the utility of a single-item measure of media immersion. Convergent validity of the measure was demonstrated through positive correlations between the single-item measure and previously published measures of immersion with...

In 2010, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic premiered on television. A large, avid fandom soon emerged—not the pre-teen female demographic earlier versions of the franchise had been created for, but a roughly 80 percent male audience, most of them age 14–24. With this came questions about the nature of the audience who would come to call themselve...

The Rubber Hand Illusion (RHI) is an illusion of body ownership. This study investigates the RHI in furries: people who manifest interest in anthropomorphic animals through various combinations of costuming, roleplay, identification with a fursona, and unusual bodily experiences. Furry culture suggests two ways furries could differ from non-furries...

People go vegetarian for a variety of reasons—most commonly motivated by concerns about animals, health, ecology, religion, or some combination of these motivations. Largely missing from existing perspectives on vegetarian motivation, however, is consideration of how construing vegetarianism as a social identity may motivate vegetarian-relevant beh...

We review psychological research on global human identification and citizenship, Thomas Paine’s belief that “The world is my country, and all mankind are my brethren.” In turn, we review the theoretical foundations that guided our work, research with measures that preceded our own, and our own work with our correlated scales. We review its foundati...

As students are often connected to a university for a number of years, the perception that the university is organizationally responsible may influence their own identity. In the present study we examined the influence of students' perception of the university's organizational responsibility on antecedents and outcomes of global citizenship identif...

Media researchers have begun to move beyond studying violent media content effects and have, instead, showed greater interest in studying the relationship between prosocial media content and helping behavior. The present study contributes to this endeavor by both testing the role of empathy as a mediator of this relationship and by doing so within...

Fan groups are communities which develop a shared identity around a specific topic or idea. Hentai fans identify as part of a group which celebrates a medium of illustrated or animated pornography. We examined the associations between hentai fan membership, feelings of ingroup identification, and perceptions of discrimination both toward themselves...

In three studies, we constructed and provided initial evidence of validity for a measure of types of global citizenship. Oxley and Morris (2013) proposed eight different types of global citizens based on prior theory (e.g., moral, economic). In Study 1, we constructed and examined the factor structure of a measure of these different types. With the...

In The Psychology of Global Citizenship: A Review of Theory and Research, Stephen Reysen and Iva Katzarska-Miller provide a theoretical and empirical overview of global citizenship and related concepts. The authors highlight core components shared by a variety of disciplines and cultures and linked to pro-social values, such as the promotion of emp...

Inspiration is a state, evoked from some source, which creates a form of approach motivation within an individual to work toward a goal, usually associated with a creative task or product. Previous research has explored inspiration as a trait which varies in the level of intensity and frequency that one is inspired by a given source. The present re...

The motivational factors driving fanship and their relationship to the promotion of one's fandom were assessed in two cross-sectional survey studies of American undergraduate students (Study 1, n = 354, Study 2, n = 896). Unlike most research on fan groups, which has focused primarily on sports fans, the present studies encompassed a variety of spo...

The authors examined perceived discrimination directed toward one's fan group and toward oneself in multiple groups of fans. Specifically, furries, bronies, anime fans, and a group of miscellaneous fans completed measures assessing the extent to which they perceived discrimination toward both their fan group and toward themselves. Across all sample...

We examined differences between cosplaying and non-cosplaying anime fans with regard to their motivation to participate in the anime fandom. Participants, all anime fans, completed scales assessing a myriad of possible motivations for anime fandom participation. Cosplayers rated all of the assessed motivations higher than non-cosplayers. The highes...

In the present study we tested the hypothesis that cosplayers experience greater well-being than non-cosplayers within the anime fandom in part because they are more likely to disclose their fan identity to non-fans. Anime fans indicated whether they engaged in cosplaying or not, and rated the degree to which they disclose their anime fan identity...