{"title":"A Kind of Magic: Social Representations of Magic from Magicians and non-Magicians","authors":"Léonore Robieux, Cyril Thomas, Marion Botella","doi":"10.1177/02762374251324913","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Magic is an art form that creates illusory experiences of impossibility by generating a conflict between what we witness and what we believe about the world. The uniqueness of this art has intrigued researchers for over a century. The present study explores the social representations of magic among magicians and non-magicians to understand how these groups perceive magic. Utilizing the framework of Social Representations (SR), which encompasses shared ideas and beliefs, this research aims to better understand the existence of differentiated perceptions of the same object based on one's relationship and proximity to it. The study involved 424 participants, including magicians and non-magicians, who were asked to list words associated with magic. The hierarchical, descending classification analysis revealed five distinct classes of representations, highlighting differences based on interest and expertise in magic. Magicians view magic positively, emphasizing the emotional exchange with the audience, while non-magicians exhibit varied perspectives, from indifference to fascination, influenced by cognitive conflicts and emotional responses. These findings underline the importance of understanding diverse perceptions to enhance the magical experience and suggest further research into how prior beliefs and representations influence the suspension of disbelief.","PeriodicalId":45870,"journal":{"name":"Empirical Studies of the Arts","volume":"36 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Empirical Studies of the Arts","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/02762374251324913","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"0","JCRName":"HUMANITIES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Magic is an art form that creates illusory experiences of impossibility by generating a conflict between what we witness and what we believe about the world. The uniqueness of this art has intrigued researchers for over a century. The present study explores the social representations of magic among magicians and non-magicians to understand how these groups perceive magic. Utilizing the framework of Social Representations (SR), which encompasses shared ideas and beliefs, this research aims to better understand the existence of differentiated perceptions of the same object based on one's relationship and proximity to it. The study involved 424 participants, including magicians and non-magicians, who were asked to list words associated with magic. The hierarchical, descending classification analysis revealed five distinct classes of representations, highlighting differences based on interest and expertise in magic. Magicians view magic positively, emphasizing the emotional exchange with the audience, while non-magicians exhibit varied perspectives, from indifference to fascination, influenced by cognitive conflicts and emotional responses. These findings underline the importance of understanding diverse perceptions to enhance the magical experience and suggest further research into how prior beliefs and representations influence the suspension of disbelief.
期刊介绍:
Empirical Studies of the Arts (ART) aims to be an interdisciplinary forum for theoretical and empirical studies of aesthetics, creativity, and all of the arts. It spans anthropological, psychological, neuroscientific, semiotic, and sociological studies of the creation, perception, and appreciation of literary, musical, visual and other art forms. Whether you are an active researcher or an interested bystander, Empirical Studies of the Arts keeps you up to date on the latest trends in scientific studies of the arts.