The DOI matches its Crossref record; 6 of the 6 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Comic-Book Superheroes and Prosocial Agency: A Large-Scale Quantitative Analysis of the Effects of Cognitive Factors on Popular Representations
Abstract
We argue that the counterfactual representations of popular culture, like their religious cognates, are shaped by cognitive constraints that become visible when considered in aggregate. In particular, we argue that comic-book literature embodies core intuitions about sociality and its maintenance that are activated by the cognitive problem of living in large groups. This leads to four predictions: comic-book enforcers should (1) be punitively prosocial, (2) be quasi-omniscient, (3) exhibit kin-signalling proxies and (4) be minimally counterintuitive. We gauge these predictions against a large sample of 19,877 characters that were derived from 72,611 comics using data scraping techniques. Our results corroborate the view that cognitive constraints exercise a selective effect on the transmission of popular culture.
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“One proposed solution is that stories exist as a cultural tool for facilitating large-group living [101–103].”
From Five studies evaluating the impact on mental health and mood of recalling, reading, and discussing fiction (2022) · cites this paper as [103]
Citations
Cites
The narrative constitution of identity: A relational and network approach
Somers, M. R. (1994) · Theory and Society · doi:10.1007/bf00992905 · Cited by 2,935 · cited 1×
“…instance) musically mediated synchronous 4 movement (Hove & Risen, 2009; Launay, Dean, & Bailes, 2013), religious display and ritual (Sosis, 2004, 2005; Whitehouse, 2004), group storytelling and narration (Bhaba, 1990; Dissanayake, 2000; Somers, 1994) and the sharing of gossip (Dunbar, 1996).”
It's All in the Timing: Interpersonal Synchrony Increases Affiliation
Hove, M. J., & Risen, J. L. (2009) · Social Cognition · doi:10.1521/soco.2009.27.6.949 · Cited by 1,334 · cited 1×
“On the practical side, studies have focused on how group coordination is achieved by way of (for instance) musically mediated synchronous 4 movement (Hove & Risen, 2009; Launay, Dean, & Bailes, 2013), religious display and ritual (Sosis, 2004, 2005; Whitehouse, 2004), group storytelling and…”
BackgroundLevi-Strauss, C. (1955) · The Journal of American Folklore · doi:10.2307/536768 · Cited by 1,195 · cited 1×
“…or social expectations act as a spur for recuperative cognitive activity that seeks to integrate the violation with existing knowledge (Berlyne, 1970; Bettencourt, Dill, Greathouse, Charlton, & Mulholland, 1997; Fauconnier & Turner, 2002; Lévi-Strauss, 1955; Sperber & Wilson, 1995; Sperber, 1975).”
BackgroundRoes, F. (2003) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/s1090-5138(02)00134-4 · Cited by 286 · cited 1×
“…we note that our study has important parallels with the large body of evidence that links the emergence of moralizing ‘high gods’ with the rise of complex social institutions and large groups (Bourrat et al., 2011; Peregrine, 1996; Roes & Raymond, 2003; Shariff, Norenzayan, & Henrich, 2009).”
ResultAtkinson, Q. D., & Bourrat, P. (2011) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2010.07.008 · Cited by 225
Synchronization Can Influence Trust Following Virtual Interaction
Launay, J., Dean, R. T., & Bailes, F. (2013) · Experimental Psychology · doi:10.1027/1618-3169/a000173 · Cited by 184
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Carney, J., & Robertson, C. (2022) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0266323 · Cited by 25
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Metadata
- Authors
- Carney, J., & Carron, P. M.
- Affiliations
- Brunel University of London (GB)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Venue
- Journal of Cognition and Culture
- Publisher
- Walter de Gruyter GmbH
- Published
- 2017-10-06
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 3-4
- Pages
- 306-330
- ISSN
- 1567-7095 (ISSN-L)
- 1568-5373
- OpenAlex
- W2527753185
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 10.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Cognition and Culture (publishedVersion)
- Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Visual Arts and Performing Arts › Comics and Graphic Narratives
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Representations and Identity
- Keywords
- comic book superheroes, popular culture, cognitive limitations, sociality, punitiveness
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