Courtney N Plante
Biographic Data
| ID | 91727 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Courtney N Plante |
| GIVEN NAMES | Courtney N |
| FAMILY NAME | Plante |
| SIGNATURE | PLANTE C N |
| AFFILIATIONS | Bishop's University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6256-8019 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 31 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 25 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Perceptions of Bandwagon and Hardcore Sport Fans
In two studies we examined the perceptions of bandwagon fans—those whose interest is inconsistent or contingent upon a team’s current performance—and hardcore sport fans—those with a persistent and unflinching zeal for their team even through periods of poor performance. In both studies, participants were randomly assigned to read about a bandwagon or hardcore basketball fan prior to rating their perception of the target person’s trustworthiness …
Cultural Psychiatry Across (Cyber)Spaces: Understanding the Role of Fan Cultures in Mental Health
Fan cultures emerge from communities of shared interests, such as those related to television series, novels, video games, and other hobbies. The internet has expanded the popularity and accessibility of fan cultures, with implications for mental health that remain underexplored within clinical practice and research. This narrative review and viewpoint article ponders how the recognition of fan cultures in cultural psychiatry may contribute to im…
“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…
Theory of planned behavior and intention to donate to animal charity in the furry fandom
Loyal Cats and Lazy Wolves: Recall for Stereotype Consistent and Inconsistent Identities in Members of a Fan Group
Furries are fans of media featuring anthropomorphized animal characters. As part of this interest, most furries construct a fursona – an anthropomorphized animal representation of themselves. Many of the species commonly chosen by fans for their fursonas have stereotypes associated with them. Based on prior research, we hypothesized that furry participants shown profiles of hypothetical furries would be more likely to remember details of profiles…
“They’re just weird”: Cognitive and affective mediators of the association between perceived nonprototypicality of, and prejudice toward, fan culture
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…
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…
Further tests of the media violence–aggression link: Replication and extension of the 7 Nations Project with multiple Latinx samples
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…
Ingroup Identification and Ingroup Projection in Fanfiction and Star Wars Fans
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…
Development and validation of a measure of popular media fan identity and its relationship to well-being
The role of social identity motivation in dietary attitudes and behaviors among vegetarians
Letters from Equestria: Prosocial Media, Helping, and Empathy in Fans of “My Little Pony”
Video games as coping mechanisms in the etiology of video game addiction
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…
Fans, Perceived Maturity, and Willingness to Form a Romantic Relationship: Application of a Short Maturity Measure
In the present research we examine the association between perceived maturity of a group and willingness to form a romantic relationship with a member of that group. In Study 1, we tested the validity of a 2-item measure of self-reported maturity by assessing its relationship with existing measures of maturity and other related measures. The new measure showed evidence of being valid. In Study 2, we modified the scale to examine participants’ per…
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
The role of social identity motivation in dietary attitudes and behaviors among vegetarians
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…
Development and validation of a measure of popular media fan identity and its relationship to well-being
Video games as coping mechanisms in the etiology of video game addiction
One of Us: Engagement with fandoms and global citizenship identification
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…
Fans, Perceived Maturity, and Willingness to Form a Romantic Relationship: Application of a Short Maturity Measure
In the present research we examine the association between perceived maturity of a group and willingness to form a romantic relationship with a member of that group. In Study 1, we tested the validity of a 2-item measure of self-reported maturity by assessing its relationship with existing measures of maturity and other related measures. The new measure showed evidence of being valid. In Study 2, we modified the scale to examine participants’ per…
Letters from Equestria: Prosocial Media, Helping, and Empathy in Fans of “My Little Pony”
Video games as coping mechanisms in the etiology of video game addiction
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…
Ingroup Identification and Ingroup Projection in Fanfiction and Star Wars Fans
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…
Development and validation of a measure of popular media fan identity and its relationship to well-being
The role of social identity motivation in dietary attitudes and behaviors among vegetarians
‘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…
Further tests of the media violence–aggression link: Replication and extension of the 7 Nations Project with multiple Latinx samples
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…
“They’re just weird”: Cognitive and affective mediators of the association between perceived nonprototypicality of, and prejudice toward, fan culture
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…
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…
Theory of planned behavior and intention to donate to animal charity in the furry fandom
Loyal Cats and Lazy Wolves: Recall for Stereotype Consistent and Inconsistent Identities in Members of a Fan Group
Furries are fans of media featuring anthropomorphized animal characters. As part of this interest, most furries construct a fursona – an anthropomorphized animal representation of themselves. Many of the species commonly chosen by fans for their fursonas have stereotypes associated with them. Based on prior research, we hypothesized that furry participants shown profiles of hypothetical furries would be more likely to remember details of profiles…
Perceptions of Bandwagon and Hardcore Sport Fans
In two studies we examined the perceptions of bandwagon fans—those whose interest is inconsistent or contingent upon a team’s current performance—and hardcore sport fans—those with a persistent and unflinching zeal for their team even through periods of poor performance. In both studies, participants were randomly assigned to read about a bandwagon or hardcore basketball fan prior to rating their perception of the target person’s trustworthiness …
Cultural Psychiatry Across (Cyber)Spaces: Understanding the Role of Fan Cultures in Mental Health
Fan cultures emerge from communities of shared interests, such as those related to television series, novels, video games, and other hobbies. The internet has expanded the popularity and accessibility of fan cultures, with implications for mental health that remain underexplored within clinical practice and research. This narrative review and viewpoint article ponders how the recognition of fan cultures in cultural psychiatry may contribute to im…
“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 (21 works) · Social Psychology (16 works) · Media Influence and Health (13 works) · Fandom (10 works) · Sociology (8 works) · Media studies (7 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Computer Science (6 works) · Identification (biology (6 works) · Impact of Technology on Adolescents (6 works)