Shared Flashbulb Memories lead to Identity Fusion: Recalling the Defeat in the Brexit Referendum Produces Strong Psychological Bonds among Remain Supporters

Barbara Muzzulini; Valerie van Mulukom; Rohan Kapitany; Harvey Whitehouse

doi:10.1016/j.jarmac.2021.10.005

Shared Flashbulb Memories lead to Identity Fusion: Recalling the Defeat in the Brexit Referendum Produces Strong Psychological Bonds among Remain Supporters

Barbara Muzzulini
, Valerie van Mulukom
, Rohan Kapitany
, Harvey Whitehouse

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

125 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Identity fusion—a visceral feeling of oneness with a group—is thought to result from the sharing of emotional, often dysphoric, experiences. In this pre-registered longitudinal study, we address the impact of flashbulb memories of learning about the outcome of the Brexit referendum on both identity fusion and social identification. As predicted, the visceral quality of people’s flashbulb memories had a transformative effect on personal identity via processes of personal reflection and this, in turn, led to identity fusion via perceived sharedness with the group. Sharing personally transformative memories in this way did not lead to social identification, suggesting that perceived sharedness is key to identity fusion but not to social identification. Understanding how emotional public events impact personal identities and how they produce peculiar forms of group alignment have important implications for explaining and managing societal threats such as polarization and forms of political and religious extremism.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	374–383
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition
Volume	11
Issue number	3
Early online date	28 Dec 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2021.10.005
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 28 Dec 2021

Bibliographical note

Copyright © and Moral Rights are retained by the author(s) and/ or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This item cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder(s). The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.

This document is the author’s post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it.

Funder

We warmly thank all the participants. We also thank the European Union for facilitating this work. The research was supported by an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant agreement No. 694986).

Funding Information:
We warmly thank all the participants. We also thank the European Union for facilitating this work. The research was supported by an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant agreement No. 694986). B.M. and H.W. conceived the study and R.K. and V.V.M. contributed to the design and implementation of the research including materials development and Open Science pre-registration. B.M. performed the study. V.V.M. analysed the data. B.M. wrote the manuscript; V.V.M. R.K. and H.W. provided critical feedback and revision. The data are publicly available in Open Science framework at the following link: osf.io/9d67f/.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition

Funding

Funders	Funder number
Horizon Europe
European Commission
European Research Council
Horizon Europe	694986

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

memory
identity fusion
bonding
Brexit
Flashbulb memory
Social perception
Group processes
Public event
Identity fusion

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Applied Psychology

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jarmac.2021.10.005

Post-PrintAccepted author manuscript, 1.41 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Muzzulini, B., van Mulukom, V., Kapitany, R., & Whitehouse, H. (2021). Shared Flashbulb Memories lead to Identity Fusion: Recalling the Defeat in the Brexit Referendum Produces Strong Psychological Bonds among Remain Supporters. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 11(3), 374–383. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2021.10.005

Shared Flashbulb Memories lead to Identity Fusion: Recalling the Defeat in the Brexit Referendum Produces Strong Psychological Bonds among Remain Supporters. / Muzzulini, Barbara; van Mulukom, Valerie; Kapitany, Rohan et al.
In: Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, Vol. 11, No. 3, 28.12.2021, p. 374–383.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Shared Flashbulb Memories lead to Identity Fusion: Recalling the Defeat in the Brexit Referendum Produces Strong Psychological Bonds among Remain Supporters

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funder

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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