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FurScience! A summary of five years of research from the International Anthropomorphic Research Project
Abstract
The International Anthropomorphic Research Project is a group of social scientists conducting research to gain a better understanding of the furry fandom. In the present book we present the main findings from a variety of studies, including more than 10,000 furry participants, over the past five years. The book seeks to answer questions often asked about furries, such as what is a furry? Do furries really think they’re animals? Is it true that all furries where fursuits? Whether you’ve never heard of furries before or you’ve been a furry for decades, you’re sure to learn something from this book.
... Further, risk-taking behavior tends to be higher in men than women (Byrnes et al., 1999). Lastly, science-fiction, and fandom more broadly, tends to be dominated by men (Edwards et al., 2019;Plante et al., 2016;Reysen et al., 2021). However, masculinity is highly associated with both voting conservatively and support for aggressive politics (DiMuccio & Knowles, 2021), which suggests that while men may be more likely to be drawn to transhumanism, this relationship remains unclear. ...
... Considering the work of Geraci (2008Geraci ( , 2010Geraci ( , 2011, Star Wars can be considered evangelical literature for transhumanism, as it engages fans with a universe of possibilities where technology can make, remake, and augment the humans of the future. However, despite the empirical findings of individuals who engage in science-fiction hobbyism predicting techno-futurism (Gangadharbatla, 2020;Koverola et al., 2022), the authors contend that the collectivism of fandom provides the memetic power necessary to take science-fiction from an individual commodity to conformity to group ideological norms (Chadborn et al., 2016;Gilbert, 2015;Plante et al., 2016Plante et al., , 2018. Thus, the Star Wars fandom was of prime interest when considering the influence fandom has on transhumanist orientation. ...
... Using a novel measure, we assessed support for transhumanism in a sample of college students, anime fans, furries, and Star Wars fans. Based on the prior research regarding the influence the canon of mediacentric fandoms has on the ideologies of fans (Chadborn et al., 2016;Edwards et al., 2019;Gilbert, 2015;Plante et al., 2016;Plante et al., 2018;Reysen et al., 2021;Roberts et al., 2015), as well as the indications that young men and those with an interest in science-fiction predict positive attitudes towards transhumanist technologies (Gangadharbatla, 2020;Koverola et al., 2022), we hypothesized that: H1: Men would demonstrate a higher endorsement of transhumanist orientation than non-men. H2: Men in the Star Wars fandom would demonstrate a higher endorsement of transhumanist orientation than men of other, science-fiction adjacent fandoms, as well as a control sample of non-fan college students. ...
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 from younger men, as well as those engaged in science-fiction literature (Gangadharbatla, 2020; Koverola et al., 2022). The present study aimed to investigate the role of gender and specific science fiction fan identities as predictors of transhumanism in three different samples of fandoms affiliated with science-fiction (e.g., anime fans, furries, and Star Wars fans) as well as in a control sample of college students. Participants (N = 6840) responded to a novel measure of transhumanist orientation in either an online or in-person survey. The findings indicated that men were the most likely to endorse transhumanism, as were fans of Star Wars and furries. Overall, the present study supports theorizing that transhumanism may be an influential motif in the science-fiction genre, as well as an appealing ideology for men.
... W trakcie badań i podczas poszukiwania literatury na temat grupy, stwierdziłłem istnienie wyobrażeń dotyczących danych ras zwierząt antropomorficznych, które są wybierane podczas wytwarzania własnej fursony. Według badań przeprowadzonych w trakcie projektu "Fur-Science" (Plante et al. 2016) wynika, że gatunki psokształtne (psy, wilki), są najczęściej nazywane lojalnymi. Lisy najczęściej utożsamiano z chytrością, smoki, tygrysy i lwy -z siłą. ...
... Wyniki badań Fur Science! (Plante et al. 2016) dotyczące czynników, na które wpływa wybór swojego awataru -fursony, pierwszą odpowiedzią była "cechy wspólne" -aż 75% respondentów przyznało, że wytworzona postać powinna posiadać cechy wspólne z osobą, która wybiera dany awatar (ibidem, 63). Fursona, może być tworzona według autowyobrażenia, które twórcy przekładają na powstającą postać -staje się więc lustrem, które odbija mniemanie członków fandomu na swój własny temat. ...
Artykuł podejmuje próbę opisania procesu kreowania tożsamości uczestniczek i uczestników fandomu furry, w ramach teorii światów społecznych Anselma Straussa. Podstawą rozważań są wyniki netnograficznych badań terenowych przeprowadzonych przez autora w 2021 r. w społeczności internetowej określającej siebie jako futrzaki (ang. furry). To osoby, które w ramach praktyk roleplayu odgrywają postać antropomorficznych zwierząt, z których rzekomymi cechami nie tylko się identyfikują, ale także poszerzają ich listę w celu negocjowania indywidulanej tożsamości. Polski fandom furry skupia nastolatków, dla których relacja wirtualna jest celem samym w sobie (świat furry), a zarazem przestrzenią i narzędziem dla poszukiwania własnej autoidentyfikacji seksualnej. Całość wieńczą pytania dotyczące dalszych możliwości badań nad tą społecznością. What does the fur Hide? The Process of Identity Creation inside the Furry Fandom: The Role of Fandoms and the Internet This paper attempts to describe the process of identity creation for participants in the furry fandom, within the framework of Anselm Strauss's theory of social worlds. The discussion is based on the results of a netnographic four-month field study conducted by the author in 2021 in an online community that describes itself as "furry". These are individuals who, as part of their roleplaying practices, play as anthropomorphic animals with whose supposed traits they not only identify but also expand their list of traits in order to negotiate individual identity. As the results of this study show the Polish furry fandom gathers teenagers for whom the virtual relationship is an end in itself (the "furry world"), and at the same time, a space and a tool for the search for one's own sexual self-identification (which was delineated using the concepts of Emic Evaluation Approach).
... The majority of participants recruited for interviews identified as male (10 out of 15) with a smaller number identifying as female (two) or nonbinary (three). While the overall demographic distribution of therians and otherkin in the general population is unknown, this group of participants has a larger percentage of cisgender men than other studies of therians and otherkin (i.e., Clegg et al., 2019); this may reflect the fact that data was gathered at Anthrocon, where a majority of the participants identify as male (Plante et al., 2016). The interviews lasted approximately 50 min each and were conducted in a quiet area of the convention space according to a semi-structured interview protocol designed to explore their lived experience of therianthropy/otherkinship and the way this experience has changed over time. ...
How do we use the world around us to become oriented, when what we perceive situates our experience as otherness? This article explores the intersubjective and embodied experiences of therians and otherkin: those who identify as beings other than solely human, such as an animal or a mythological creature. Through an application of phenomenologist Sara Ahmed’s concepts of orientation, disorientation, and reorientation, along with psychoanalytic theories of the mirror stage from Lacan and Winnicott, this article develops an understanding of therianthropy and otherkinship that accounts for the contextual and contested nature of the lived body. The article argues for a stance of cultural humility when engaging with forms of embodiment and subjectivity that challenge ontological boundary-setting between what lies within and beyond the domain of the human.
... If the possibility of mental shape-shifting is taken seriously, then one 2 A related community is known as Furries, a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Although Furries might dress in animal costumes and exhibit a "fursona" (i.e., an animal personality), shape-shifting does not seem to be emphasized (for a review see Plante et al. 2016), and so they will not be further considered here. A comparison of the characteristics of furries and the characteristics of shamans is given in Putová (2013). ...
A cognitive account of shape-shifting that is based on a second-order isomorphism involving the functional architecture of human mental representation and the human genome is suggested. Characteristics of shape-shifting from multiple sources (Shamanism, cave art, mythology, folktales, popular culture) are briefly reviewed, and a distinction between physical shape-shifting and mental shape-shifting is noted. The idea of isomorphism (a one-to-one mapping between elements of different systems or domains) is reviewed, and prior applications of the isomorphism notion within psychology (Gestalt theory, mental imagery, spatial localization) are briefly considered. A distinction between first-order isomorphism (involving structure) and second-order isomorphism (involving function) is noted, and the possibility that reported experiences of shape-shifting involve access and activation of second-order isomorphism information contained within the functional architecture of mental
representation is suggested. The possible connections between a second-order isomorphism account of shape-shifting and a wide range of issues in human physiology (mimesis, mirror neurons, stem cells, neural pruning, phantom limb syndrome), human cognition (embodied cognition, qualia, literacy, information access, memory, the computer metaphor, holographic representation), and altered states of consciousness (dreaming, mystical states, alchemy, exceptional human experiences) are discussed.
Shared identity has played a significant role in the formation of fandom in the digital age, where online interaction has become the dominating mode of social interaction among individuals. The furry fandom's online ingroup interactions are examined through the evolving process of identity and trust development, highlighting the role of virtual platforms in fostering community cohesion. This paper reviews previous literature about furry fandom from four aspects of Social Exchange Theory (SET): trust, commitment, reciprocity, and power. The narrative review method explores how these aspects contribute to the resilience of shared identity and trust within the furry fandom. The review of six scholarly articles surrounding the furry ingroup interaction underlined a common belief that individuals who identify as furry share a common sense of identity, fostering trust and camaraderie within the community. This shared identity serves as a foundation for a sustainable ingroup trust and contributes to the overall cohesion of the furry fandom. This paper suggests that future research could adopt a more in-depth analysis of the importance of trust and its sustainment within ingroup interaction in the scope of the digital age.
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 misinformation about furries. Finding the reach of traditional academic outlets was inadequate to meaningfully impact mainstream misconceptions, we rebranded our research efforts under the name Furscience and utilized social marketing and creative dissemination to repackage the IARP's research into more public-friendly, accessible formats. Furscience has become a multipurpose platform specifically engineered to forge connections among academics, furries, the public, and media. It also supports the furry community's own diverse, anti-stigma efforts by providing data, public education , and partnerships. We offer preliminary evidence that suggests Furscience has increased its public reach and that furries, themselves, see improvements in how the media and public understand their community. This case study offers academics who work with stigmatized populations-especially those plagued by misinformation-and engage in translational research an example of how data, community and media partnerships, and non-traditional dissemination strategies can improve research accessibility and anti-stigma efforts. We conclude with a summary of the lessons learned by Furscience. ARTICLE HISTORY
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 by examining the associations between acculturation attitudes and identification with fan communities across three studies. Fanfiction fans, Star Wars fans, and furries completed measures of four different acculturation strategies with respect to managing their fan and non-fan communities as well as a measure of their identification with the fan community. Results across the three studies consistently found that integration and assimilation strategies positively predicted fan community identification, while separation and marginalization strategies negatively predicted fan community identification. Together, the results conceptually replicate and find evidence for the acculturation model.
This article investigated the fans’ identity among ARMY BTS Indonesia, the fandom name for BTS fans. The study aimed to explore factors driving K-Pop fanaticism in Indonesia in general and how it affected their dynamics within the society. Using a quantitative method through online surveys based on the fans-identity scale approach, the research surveyed a total of 243 fans in Indonesia using a network sampling approach. Results showed that fans were considerably proud to be recognized as BTS fans. In terms of the drives of their fanaticism, three main factors played into the role namely: the enjoyment feelings surged when listening to BTS music, the emotional connection toward BTS, and the social connection. These three factors were well correlated, reflecting the same construct. The latter incorporated the fans’ fascination toward idols’ works and their need to actively participate in online platforms. Fans’ participation in online platforms not only catered for their need to socialize with fans alike and showcase their adoration toward their idols but also being able to proudly show their identity as loyal fans.
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 membership within the group. The goal of the present study was to test the relative contributions sex- and fandom-related motivations (e.g., social belonging) have in determining furry identity to provide better conceptualizations of this unique community for future research and education. In a sample of furries (n = 1,113), participants reported sexual attraction to facets of their interest and were found to be sexually motivated to engage in specific fan behaviors. However, a series of follow-up analyses revealed that non-sexual motivations were not only stronger in magnitude than sexual motivation was, but were also much more strongly correlated with furry identification.
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 anthropomorphic art and stories). Fans completed measures of ingroup identification, intragroup helping, and self-esteem (Studies 1 & 2) or psychological well-being (Study 3). Across all studies, the results tended to support intragroup helping as a mediator of the relationship between identification and self-esteem (Studies 1 & 2) and psychological well-being (Study 3). The results highlight a possible mechanism contributing to the benefits of belonging to fan groups and illustrate the possible benefits of helping others within one’s fan group.
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