Spooky Activities and Group Loyalty

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Shaari Freed

Abstract

As an adult, I can remember how bonded I felt to the girls with whom I shared in these activities. I realize that a significant amount of the bonding occurred simply because we spent so much time together. Yet, I remain convinced that a certain component of that connection is directly attributable to our supernatural adventures. I believe that because we participated in activities that felt mysterious, forbidden, foreboding, and (best of all) unique to us, our loyalty to the group increased. I postulate that the state of arousal and fear worked as a form of initiation and served as a kind of glue to enhance group cohesiveness. I hypothesize that engaging in spooky activities and believing in the group's tie to the supernatural creates in-group/out-group barriers and enhances group loyalty.

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