Thread by @ScienceInChaos

I've been reading about @MarzGurl and this new drama and I have thoughts. Typically, when a group member does something bad or in violation of group norms, the Black Sheep Effect says that the group turns on them. Yet when that member is an exemplar or leader this might (1/14)

not happen. The leaders or exemplars of the group or those perceived to be in part set what is acceptable but also shape aspects of the individual's identity. What may be going on in the case of fans rallying against a scapegoat for their own dissonance and...(2)

With the potential of having to admit that a paragon, an exemplar of their group, or someone so closely tied to ones specific group of interest has been alleged to have done some terrible things is tied to the need to reduce that negative emotion.(3)

When we experience something contradictory, like the time I caled into my retail job and alsp saw myself as a hard worker, we experience cognitive dissonance, a negative emotion we are sort of primed to rid ourself of #willsomeoneridmeofthismeddlesomeemotion (4)

So when one of our heros, someone so closely tied to our group does something thay challenges that title of hero or makes us in part question our group we feel bad. And believe me, I grew up loving Tom Cruise movies and I'm a psychologist who got to...(5)

Listen to him say people taking anti-depressants are drug addicts. When this happens we feel bad trying to bring into balance our thoughts of the great works they did along with the not so great actions tied to the same person. When dealing with this we have a few options. (6)

We can modify our thoughts to fit the new reality (maybe they arent the hero we thought). We modify thoughts to deal with the new information (I can like someones movies or acting without approving of their behavior). Or we can take the easy route. (7)

It's easy because it helps is reduce the bad feelings the fastest. We deny everything, it didn't happen, we attack victims, or their supporters. We ignore the evidence, we look for scapegoats, create conspiracy theories about those scapegoats as running secret career ruining (8)

Cabals of anti fans and others. But in part its to make ourselves feel better about the reality of the situation, that our heroes may have done bad things. And because it is so effective at removing the negative feelings we just. Keep. Doing it. Rationalizing the pain away. (9)

Psychology has studied this effect for the better part of 60 years and even then, knowing it, I know that it doesn't make the bad feelings any easier tp deal with. The rationalization expands to make attacks, death threats, and even harm against victims and their supporters (10)

Acceptable. Despite all of the rules and norms legally, religiously, and every other -ly against harming others, treating other people as we want to be treated, the rationalization of demonizing and attacking the other instead of having a discussion, or debate, even a heated (11)

One, still doesnt have to lead to death threats over an actor, a show, a comic, a politician, anyone or anything. No matter how connected we are to it, threats of the sort, aren't worth that level of rationalization just to deny pur bad feelings. Its easier. But its not right(12)

I don't have much more to add but we need to as fans step up. Victim blaming, harassment, rationalization, scapegoating is not an answer to deal with the problem of a member of our side maybe doing something bad. It makes us feel good in the now but doesn't fix the reality (13)

That we at some point will have to deal with. I'm not sure anyone will read this but it's something to think about especially as we continue in the online space of high group identity and polarized fan interactions. #psychology #fandom #polarization #Fans (14/14)

Its a little rambly, Twitter threads are not easy for me apparently and I kept wondering if I even wanted to jump into this tonight.