Science Explores Our Magical Belief in the Power of Celebrity
The Belief in Celebrity Contagion
In modern times, we often assume that we have left behind our beliefs in magic and superstition. However, a new study suggests that we may still hold onto some of these beliefs, even subconsciously.
Psychologists have found that people are willing to pay more for celebrity memorabilia if they believe that the celebrity has touched it. This is known as the concept of “contagion,” the belief that a person’s qualities can be transferred to an object through physical contact.
The Study on Celebrity Memorabilia
Researchers conducted a study on the prices of celebrity memorabilia at auctions. They found that people were willing to pay significantly more for items owned by beloved celebrities, such as John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, if they thought the celebrities had touched them.
Conversely, people were willing to pay less for items owned by widely disliked individuals, such as Bernie Madoff, if they imagined that Madoff had come into contact with them.
The Role of Perceived Physical Contact
The researchers also found that the perceived likelihood of physical contact between a celebrity and an item influenced the sale price. Items that were perceived as having a higher degree of physical contact with their owners sold for higher prices, compared to auction houses’ estimated value of the goods.
However, this trend did not hold true for extremely expensive objects, such as jewelry. When it comes to truly serious, investment-level purchases, the magical belief in contagion seems to dry up.
The Experiment on Celebrity Sweaters
To further support their argument about the role of physical contact in the price discrepancies, the researchers conducted an intriguing experiment. They asked volunteers how much they would bid on a hypothetical sweater that had belonged to either a famous person they admired or a celebrity they despised.
Some participants were told that the sweater had been sterilized, moved to the auction house, or could never be sold again. Compared to untransformed sweaters, the participants were willing to pay less for a beloved celebrity’s sweater that had been sterilized, but not for one they couldn’t resell. This indicates that they valued the “essence” the celebrity had passed on to the sweater more than its actual monetary value.
The results for sweaters owned by a despised famous person were the opposite. Sterilized sweaters were valued higher than normal ones, suggesting that eliminating a despised celebrity’s “essence” is easier and more crucial for the object’s desirability.
The Impact on the Memorabilia Industry
The findings of this study have implications for the memorabilia industry. The power of contagion can significantly influence the value of celebrity memorabilia, especially for items that are perceived to have been touched by a celebrity.
For example, a John F. Kennedy-owned bomber jacket sold for $570,000 at auction. Without the power of contagion, a jacket is just a jacket, even if it was owned by JFK.
Conclusion
The study on celebrity memorabilia provides evidence that we may still hold onto some magical beliefs, even in modern society. The concept of contagion, the belief that a person’s qualities can be transferred to an object through physical contact, can influence our behavior and decisions, even when it comes to something as seemingly rational as buying and selling memorabilia.
