Sharon E Roberts
Biographic Data
| ID | 5875896 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sharon E Roberts |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sharon E |
| FAMILY NAME | Roberts |
| SIGNATURE | ROBERTS S E |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Waterloo |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 20 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
“How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Fur”: The Effectiveness of Coping Strategies Against Anti-Furry Stigma
Prior research determined that stigma can have positive, indirect effects on minoritized groups when mediated through coping strategies. We surveyed furries – a stigmatized fan group centered on shared interest in anthropomorphism – regarding their perception of stigma, coping strategies employed, well-being, and self-esteem. The results showed that perception of stigma positively associated with a variety of coping strategies, which were differe…
Being Bullied and Its Association With Nonhuman Animal Anthropomorphizing and Ingroup Identification With Nonhuman Animals
Humans have a fundamental need to belong to groups. However, this need for belongingness is often thwarted when they experience bullying or ostracism from their conspecifics, which may compel them to turn away from other humans. One possible response to this ostracism is through the anthropomorphizing of nonhuman entities, which may be associated with a greater sense of felt connection to, or kinship with them, as well as a feeling of belonging t…
The jackal in the city: An empirical phenomenological study of embodied experience among therians and otherkin
You would not download a soulmate: Attributes of fictional characters that inspire intimate connection
Theory of planned behavior and intention to donate to animal charity in the furry fandom
Fandom identification and in-person activities as mediators of the association between cosplay and psychological well-being
Cosplay, a portmanteau of the words ‘costume’ and ‘roleplay’, involves fans dressing up and acting out fictional characters, usually at fan-themed events. Previous research on cosplay and well-being has found that people who cosplay, compared to non-cosplaying anime fans, experience more positive well-being, in part because they are more likely to disclose their fan interests to others rather than hiding it. In the present study we expand upon pr…
Acculturation strategies as predictors of fandom identification in the fanfiction, Star Wars fan, and furry communities
Research suggests that people at the interface of two different cultures may face a dilemma regarding how or whether to adopt aspects of the new culture in light of their existing cultural identity. A growing body of research in fan communities suggests that similar group processes may operate in recreational, volitional identities. We tested this by examining the associations between acculturation attitudes and identification with fan communitie…
Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed: The influence of gender and in-group identification on transhumanist orientation
Transhumanism is a school of thought that promotes the enhancement of humanity through technological intervention (e.g., cloning, gene therapies, uploading one’s mind to a computer, nanotechnology). Due to its aims of altering evolutionary processes (Bostrom, 2005), transhumanism is highly controversial (Sinicki, 2015). The ideology finds support from younger men, as well as those engaged in science-fiction literature (Gangadharbatla, 2020; Kover…
Social Activities Mediate the Relation between Fandom Identification and Psychological Well-Being
Prior research demonstrates that a relationship exists between fan identification and psychological well-being. In the present research, we attempted to both conceptually replicate this finding, testing its generalizability in different fan groups and measured in different contexts, as well as extend it by testing whether fan friendships (Study 1) and fan activities (Studies 2 and 3) mediate the association. Across the three studies, fandom—the s…
Seeding the Grassroots of Research on Furries: Lessons Learned from 15 Years of Creative Knowledge Mobilization, Valuing Community Partnerships, and Correcting the Record on Stigmatized Communities wi…
This paper documents a case study of how academics can use traditional research and non-traditional knowledge mobilization to improve the dissemination of findings related to stigmatized communities. The International Anthropomorphic Research Project (IARP) used peer-reviewed scholarship to challenge pervasive media misconceptions and misinformation about furries. Finding the reach of traditional academic outlets was inadequate to meaningfully im…
Intragroup helping as a mediator of the association between fandom identification and self-esteem and well-being
We examined whether intragroup helping mediates the relationship between identification with one’s fandom and self-esteem and psychological well-being in three different samples of fans: bronies (fans of the television series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), anime fans (fans of Japanese animation and graphic novels), and furries (fans of anthropomorphic art and stories). Fans completed measures of ingroup identification, intragroup helping, …
Chasing Tail”: Testing the Relative Strength of Sexual Interest and Social Interaction as Predictors of Furry Identity
Furries can be described as a mediacentric fandom, similar to other fandoms, which organizes around an interest in anthropomorphic art. Past research has also aimed to highlight and understand the sexual motivations of furries, leading to questions regarding the relative strength of fandom and sexual motivations for joining and maintaining membership within the group. The goal of the present study was to test the relative contributions sex- and f…
‘Get out of my fandom, newbie’: A cross-fandom study of elitism and gatekeeping in fans
In the present article we discuss three studies aimed at better understanding elitism in the context of fan groups. The studies assess different facets of elitism, predictors of elitism and the potential outcomes associated with holding elitist beliefs. The survey studies were conducted on members of three distinct fan groups: furries (fans of media featuring anthropomorphized animal characters), bronies (adult fans of the television series My Li…
My Animal Self: The Importance of Preserving Fantasy-Themed Identity Uniqueness
Furries are fans of anthropomorphic art and media. A unique component of the fandom is the creation of individualized fursonas – anthropomorphic animal-themed identities to represent oneself. In the present research, we examined the effects of experiencing a threat to one’s fandom-themed fantasy identity (fursona) or to oneself. Furries read about another person copying (vs. not copying) one’s fursona (vs. public identity) prior to completing mea…
Initial validation and reliability of the single-item measure of immersion
In the present research we provide preliminary evidence of the convergent and divergent validity, test-retest reliability, and the utility of a single-item measure of media immersion. Convergent validity of the measure was demonstrated through positive correlations between the single-item measure and previously published measures of immersion with respect to one’s favorite movie (Study 1) and the last video game respondents played (Study 2). Dive…
“My Group Is Discriminated against, but I’m Not”: Denial of Personal Discrimination in Furry, Brony, Anime, and General Interest Fan Groups
The authors examined perceived discrimination directed toward one’s fan group and toward oneself in multiple groups of fans. Specifically, furries, bronies, anime fans, and a group of miscellaneous fans completed measures assessing the extent to which they perceived discrimination toward both their fan group and toward themselves. Across all samples, participants reported greater discrimination directed toward their fan group than toward themselv…
Fan and Non-Fan Recollection of Faces in Fandom-Related Art and Costumes
We compared face recognition of humans and fandom-themed characters (art and costumes) between a sample of furries (fans of anthropomorphic animal art) and non-furries. Participants viewed images that included humans, drawn anthropomorphic animals, and anthropomorphic animal costumes, and were later tested on their ability to recognize faces from a subset of the viewed images. While furries and non-furries did not differ in their recollection of …
Animals Like Us: Identifying with Nonhuman Animals and Support for Nonhuman Animal Rights
While anthropomorphizing nonhuman animals has been shown to increase identification with them and, by extension, concern for their wellbeing, little research has directly tested whether identifying with nonhuman animals is similarly associated with concern for their wellbeing. We tested hypotheses related to this premise across three cross-sectional studies. In study 1 (n = 224), we tested the hypothesis that therians—a group of people who self-i…
Identity Horizons Among Finnish Postsecondary Students: A Comparative Analysis
This article examines the identity horizons of postsecondary students in Finland—a country in which social welfare provisions buffer education-to-work transitions—comparing their identity horizons to those previously reported for U.S. and Japanese students. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed scalar invariance of the Finnish version of the Identity Horizons Scales with the English and Japanese versions. Latent mean comparisons found that Finnis…
The Role of Identity Horizons in Education-to-Work Transitions: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study in Japan and the United States
This article reports on the development and construct validation of the Identity Horizons Scales, an instrument based on the identity horizons model. Participants were postsecondary students aged 18–24 years from Japan (N = 505) and the United States (N = 546). Following exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, a three-factor scale had adequate configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance. Evidence for construct validity…
The Anthrozoomorphic Identity: Furry Fandom Members' Connections to Nonhuman Animals
We examined furry fandom members’ anthrozoomorphic identity by investigating this subculture's relationship with nonhuman animals. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and two largescale Internet and convention-based studies of furries, we developed (study 1; n=4,338) and replicated (study 2; n=1,707) the 10-item Species Connection Scale, which is a three-factor model of felt connection to animals: (1) a sense of appreciation or lik…
One of Us: Engagement with fandoms and global citizenship identification
Minor concerns: Representations of children and childhood in British museums
This paper investigates the different ways that British museums have represented children and childhood. It examines the argument that children are underrepresented in Britain’s museum displays, and reviews different images and constructions of children and childhood observed in recent exhibitions. Evidence is also offered to contest the principle that all such exhibitions will generate a completely positive and nostalgic image of childhood. As c…
One of Us: Engagement with fandoms and global citizenship identification
Chasing Tail”: Testing the Relative Strength of Sexual Interest and Social Interaction as Predictors of Furry Identity
Furries can be described as a mediacentric fandom, similar to other fandoms, which organizes around an interest in anthropomorphic art. Past research has also aimed to highlight and understand the sexual motivations of furries, leading to questions regarding the relative strength of fandom and sexual motivations for joining and maintaining membership within the group. The goal of the present study was to test the relative contributions sex- and f…
The Anthrozoomorphic Identity: Furry Fandom Members' Connections to Nonhuman Animals
We examined furry fandom members’ anthrozoomorphic identity by investigating this subculture's relationship with nonhuman animals. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and two largescale Internet and convention-based studies of furries, we developed (study 1; n=4,338) and replicated (study 2; n=1,707) the 10-item Species Connection Scale, which is a three-factor model of felt connection to animals: (1) a sense of appreciation or lik…
Animals Like Us: Identifying with Nonhuman Animals and Support for Nonhuman Animal Rights
While anthropomorphizing nonhuman animals has been shown to increase identification with them and, by extension, concern for their wellbeing, little research has directly tested whether identifying with nonhuman animals is similarly associated with concern for their wellbeing. We tested hypotheses related to this premise across three cross-sectional studies. In study 1 (n = 224), we tested the hypothesis that therians—a group of people who self-i…
Social Activities Mediate the Relation between Fandom Identification and Psychological Well-Being
Prior research demonstrates that a relationship exists between fan identification and psychological well-being. In the present research, we attempted to both conceptually replicate this finding, testing its generalizability in different fan groups and measured in different contexts, as well as extend it by testing whether fan friendships (Study 1) and fan activities (Studies 2 and 3) mediate the association. Across the three studies, fandom—the s…
Seeding the Grassroots of Research on Furries: Lessons Learned from 15 Years of Creative Knowledge Mobilization, Valuing Community Partnerships, and Correcting the Record on Stigmatized Communities wi…
This paper documents a case study of how academics can use traditional research and non-traditional knowledge mobilization to improve the dissemination of findings related to stigmatized communities. The International Anthropomorphic Research Project (IARP) used peer-reviewed scholarship to challenge pervasive media misconceptions and misinformation about furries. Finding the reach of traditional academic outlets was inadequate to meaningfully im…
Minor concerns: Representations of children and childhood in British museums
This paper investigates the different ways that British museums have represented children and childhood. It examines the argument that children are underrepresented in Britain’s museum displays, and reviews different images and constructions of children and childhood observed in recent exhibitions. Evidence is also offered to contest the principle that all such exhibitions will generate a completely positive and nostalgic image of childhood. As c…
One of Us: Engagement with fandoms and global citizenship identification
The Role of Identity Horizons in Education-to-Work Transitions: A Cross-Cultural Validation Study in Japan and the United States
This article reports on the development and construct validation of the Identity Horizons Scales, an instrument based on the identity horizons model. Participants were postsecondary students aged 18–24 years from Japan (N = 505) and the United States (N = 546). Following exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, a three-factor scale had adequate configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance. Evidence for construct validity…
The Anthrozoomorphic Identity: Furry Fandom Members' Connections to Nonhuman Animals
We examined furry fandom members’ anthrozoomorphic identity by investigating this subculture's relationship with nonhuman animals. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and two largescale Internet and convention-based studies of furries, we developed (study 1; n=4,338) and replicated (study 2; n=1,707) the 10-item Species Connection Scale, which is a three-factor model of felt connection to animals: (1) a sense of appreciation or lik…
Identity Horizons Among Finnish Postsecondary Students: A Comparative Analysis
This article examines the identity horizons of postsecondary students in Finland—a country in which social welfare provisions buffer education-to-work transitions—comparing their identity horizons to those previously reported for U.S. and Japanese students. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed scalar invariance of the Finnish version of the Identity Horizons Scales with the English and Japanese versions. Latent mean comparisons found that Finnis…
“My Group Is Discriminated against, but I’m Not”: Denial of Personal Discrimination in Furry, Brony, Anime, and General Interest Fan Groups
The authors examined perceived discrimination directed toward one’s fan group and toward oneself in multiple groups of fans. Specifically, furries, bronies, anime fans, and a group of miscellaneous fans completed measures assessing the extent to which they perceived discrimination toward both their fan group and toward themselves. Across all samples, participants reported greater discrimination directed toward their fan group than toward themselv…
Fan and Non-Fan Recollection of Faces in Fandom-Related Art and Costumes
We compared face recognition of humans and fandom-themed characters (art and costumes) between a sample of furries (fans of anthropomorphic animal art) and non-furries. Participants viewed images that included humans, drawn anthropomorphic animals, and anthropomorphic animal costumes, and were later tested on their ability to recognize faces from a subset of the viewed images. While furries and non-furries did not differ in their recollection of …
Animals Like Us: Identifying with Nonhuman Animals and Support for Nonhuman Animal Rights
While anthropomorphizing nonhuman animals has been shown to increase identification with them and, by extension, concern for their wellbeing, little research has directly tested whether identifying with nonhuman animals is similarly associated with concern for their wellbeing. We tested hypotheses related to this premise across three cross-sectional studies. In study 1 (n = 224), we tested the hypothesis that therians—a group of people who self-i…
Initial validation and reliability of the single-item measure of immersion
In the present research we provide preliminary evidence of the convergent and divergent validity, test-retest reliability, and the utility of a single-item measure of media immersion. Convergent validity of the measure was demonstrated through positive correlations between the single-item measure and previously published measures of immersion with respect to one’s favorite movie (Study 1) and the last video game respondents played (Study 2). Dive…
‘Get out of my fandom, newbie’: A cross-fandom study of elitism and gatekeeping in fans
In the present article we discuss three studies aimed at better understanding elitism in the context of fan groups. The studies assess different facets of elitism, predictors of elitism and the potential outcomes associated with holding elitist beliefs. The survey studies were conducted on members of three distinct fan groups: furries (fans of media featuring anthropomorphized animal characters), bronies (adult fans of the television series My Li…
My Animal Self: The Importance of Preserving Fantasy-Themed Identity Uniqueness
Furries are fans of anthropomorphic art and media. A unique component of the fandom is the creation of individualized fursonas – anthropomorphic animal-themed identities to represent oneself. In the present research, we examined the effects of experiencing a threat to one’s fandom-themed fantasy identity (fursona) or to oneself. Furries read about another person copying (vs. not copying) one’s fursona (vs. public identity) prior to completing mea…
Intragroup helping as a mediator of the association between fandom identification and self-esteem and well-being
We examined whether intragroup helping mediates the relationship between identification with one’s fandom and self-esteem and psychological well-being in three different samples of fans: bronies (fans of the television series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), anime fans (fans of Japanese animation and graphic novels), and furries (fans of anthropomorphic art and stories). Fans completed measures of ingroup identification, intragroup helping, …
Chasing Tail”: Testing the Relative Strength of Sexual Interest and Social Interaction as Predictors of Furry Identity
Furries can be described as a mediacentric fandom, similar to other fandoms, which organizes around an interest in anthropomorphic art. Past research has also aimed to highlight and understand the sexual motivations of furries, leading to questions regarding the relative strength of fandom and sexual motivations for joining and maintaining membership within the group. The goal of the present study was to test the relative contributions sex- and f…
Fandom identification and in-person activities as mediators of the association between cosplay and psychological well-being
Cosplay, a portmanteau of the words ‘costume’ and ‘roleplay’, involves fans dressing up and acting out fictional characters, usually at fan-themed events. Previous research on cosplay and well-being has found that people who cosplay, compared to non-cosplaying anime fans, experience more positive well-being, in part because they are more likely to disclose their fan interests to others rather than hiding it. In the present study we expand upon pr…
Acculturation strategies as predictors of fandom identification in the fanfiction, Star Wars fan, and furry communities
Research suggests that people at the interface of two different cultures may face a dilemma regarding how or whether to adopt aspects of the new culture in light of their existing cultural identity. A growing body of research in fan communities suggests that similar group processes may operate in recreational, volitional identities. We tested this by examining the associations between acculturation attitudes and identification with fan communitie…
Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed: The influence of gender and in-group identification on transhumanist orientation
Transhumanism is a school of thought that promotes the enhancement of humanity through technological intervention (e.g., cloning, gene therapies, uploading one’s mind to a computer, nanotechnology). Due to its aims of altering evolutionary processes (Bostrom, 2005), transhumanism is highly controversial (Sinicki, 2015). The ideology finds support from younger men, as well as those engaged in science-fiction literature (Gangadharbatla, 2020; Kover…
Social Activities Mediate the Relation between Fandom Identification and Psychological Well-Being
Prior research demonstrates that a relationship exists between fan identification and psychological well-being. In the present research, we attempted to both conceptually replicate this finding, testing its generalizability in different fan groups and measured in different contexts, as well as extend it by testing whether fan friendships (Study 1) and fan activities (Studies 2 and 3) mediate the association. Across the three studies, fandom—the s…
Seeding the Grassroots of Research on Furries: Lessons Learned from 15 Years of Creative Knowledge Mobilization, Valuing Community Partnerships, and Correcting the Record on Stigmatized Communities wi…
This paper documents a case study of how academics can use traditional research and non-traditional knowledge mobilization to improve the dissemination of findings related to stigmatized communities. The International Anthropomorphic Research Project (IARP) used peer-reviewed scholarship to challenge pervasive media misconceptions and misinformation about furries. Finding the reach of traditional academic outlets was inadequate to meaningfully im…
The jackal in the city: An empirical phenomenological study of embodied experience among therians and otherkin
You would not download a soulmate: Attributes of fictional characters that inspire intimate connection
Theory of planned behavior and intention to donate to animal charity in the furry fandom
“How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Fur”: The Effectiveness of Coping Strategies Against Anti-Furry Stigma
Prior research determined that stigma can have positive, indirect effects on minoritized groups when mediated through coping strategies. We surveyed furries – a stigmatized fan group centered on shared interest in anthropomorphism – regarding their perception of stigma, coping strategies employed, well-being, and self-esteem. The results showed that perception of stigma positively associated with a variety of coping strategies, which were differe…
Being Bullied and Its Association With Nonhuman Animal Anthropomorphizing and Ingroup Identification With Nonhuman Animals
Humans have a fundamental need to belong to groups. However, this need for belongingness is often thwarted when they experience bullying or ostracism from their conspecifics, which may compel them to turn away from other humans. One possible response to this ostracism is through the anthropomorphizing of nonhuman entities, which may be associated with a greater sense of felt connection to, or kinship with them, as well as a feeling of belonging t…
Psychology (19 works) · Social Psychology (13 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Fandom (10 works) · Media Influence and Health (10 works) · Media studies (9 works) · Identification (biology (6 works) · Political science (6 works) · Social Psychology (6 works) · Gender, Feminism, and Media (5 works)