Perceived Emotional Synchrony in Collective Gatherings: Validation of a Short Scale and Proposition of an Integrative Measure

• Published in: Frontiers in psychology Vol. 11; p. 1721
• Main Authors: Wlodarczyk, Anna, Zumeta, Larraitz, Pizarro, José Joaquin, Bouchat, Pierre, Hatibovic, Fuad, Basabe, Nekane, Rimé, Bernard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media 31.07.2020; Frontiers Media S.A
• Subjects: collective effervescence; collective gatherings; Durkheim; Humanities and Social Sciences; perceived emotional synchrony; Psychology; well-being; collective gatherings; well-being; Durkheim; collective effervescence; perceived emotional synchrony
• ISSN: 1664-1078; 1664-1078
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01721

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in the relationship between participation in collective gatherings and rituals and different important psychosocial variables and processes, such as social sharing of emotions, group cohesion, identity fusion, prosocial tendencies and behaviors, and well-being (e.g., Rimé, 2009; Xygalatas et al., 2013; Khan et al., 2015; Páez et al., 2015). These studies, coming from different lines of research, have proposed diverse explanatory mechanismsto explain the positive social and psychological effects of collective gatherings. In the present article, we focus on one of these mechanisms, known as collective effervescence, emotional communion, emotional entrainment, or perceived emotional synchrony (PES). First, we briefly discuss current conceptions of the emotional states and experience during collective gatherings and what they bring to the definition of PES. We close this point by proposing an integrative definition of PES. Second, structuralvalidity of the original PES scale is examined. Third, incremental validity of PES isexamined in two longitudinal studies, particularly with respect to well-being. Finally, wepropose an integrative short form of the PES Scale, which measures antecedents andbehavioral effects of collective effervescence.