These Celebrities Are Empowered By Their Unusual Alter Egos
You may think that celebrities adopting an alter-ego is simply another way to get attention. But it turns out that stepping into the shoes of a fictional creation can help with everything from self-control to social anxiety. And in the world of psychology, the benefits are known as the Batman Effect!
According to experts, the use of an alter ego is essentially a way of stepping back from a situation which may be nerve-wracking or challenging. Several prestigious colleges have conducted extensive research on this type of self-distancing, too. Take the study carried out by psychology professor Ethan Kross at the University of Michigan. Here, participants had to prepare for a brief spot of public speaking – something which can strike fear into the hearts of most of us.
Those involved were asked to think about the task ahead in the third person. The hope was that by visualizing the often-scary task from a different perspective, speakers wouldn’t feel so anxious. And the subsequent differences in blood pressure and heart rate proved that it was a tactic which worked. Along with boosting an individual’s physical well-being, it also helped improve presentation performance.
The practice can even help when it comes to self-control! In another study carried out by Kross, individuals were asked to self-distance when presented with foods both healthy and sugary. Remarkably, by thinking in the third person, most participants opted for the former. But the Batman Effect is perhaps at its most powerful when it comes to kids, as evidenced from research conducted by Hamilton College’s assistant professor of psychology Rachel White.
White once set a bunch of six-year-olds a deliberately unexciting concentration task. A third of the group were asked to envisage being their number one fictional character – be it Batman or Peppa Pig. And as you’d expect, it was these self-distancers who ended up sticking with the challenge the longest. So, now that we know that there is an invaluable method to the madness, here’s a look at 18 celebs who have used alter egos to their advantage.
