TY - JOUR
T1 - Anthropomorphism and object attachment
AU - Wan, Echo Wen
AU - Chen, Rocky Peng
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Anthropomorphism refers to seeing non-human objects as humans. Recent research suggests that anthropomorphizing objects could influence people's psychological and emotional bond with the objects. Anthropomorphism imbues non-human objects with human-like characteristics, alters people's relationship with the objects, and shift people's emotional and cognitive responses towards the objects. Based on the role played by the primary caregivers in shaping children's attachment to them, this article offers a resource-based analysis on how anthropomorphism provides resources to address people's needs in three domains: a sense of comfort and pleasantness, self-identity (i.e. individual self, relational self, collective self), and self-efficacy. We conclude with a discussion of anthropomorphism and object attachment as well as future research opportunities.
AB - Anthropomorphism refers to seeing non-human objects as humans. Recent research suggests that anthropomorphizing objects could influence people's psychological and emotional bond with the objects. Anthropomorphism imbues non-human objects with human-like characteristics, alters people's relationship with the objects, and shift people's emotional and cognitive responses towards the objects. Based on the role played by the primary caregivers in shaping children's attachment to them, this article offers a resource-based analysis on how anthropomorphism provides resources to address people's needs in three domains: a sense of comfort and pleasantness, self-identity (i.e. individual self, relational self, collective self), and self-efficacy. We conclude with a discussion of anthropomorphism and object attachment as well as future research opportunities.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85089816469&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.08.009
DO - 10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.08.009
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85089816469
SN - 2352-250X
VL - 39
SP - 88
EP - 93
JO - Current Opinion in Psychology
JF - Current Opinion in Psychology
ER -