A Kind of Magic: Social Representations of Magic from Magicians and non-Magicians.

Magic is an art form that creates illusory experiences of impossibility by generating a conflict between what we witness and what we believe about the world. The uniqueness of this art has intrigued researchers for over a century. The present study explores the social representations of magic among...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Empirical Studies of the Arts Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 446 - 463
Autores principales: Robieux, Léonore, Thomas, Cyril, Botella, Marion
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Sage Publications Inc. Jan2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=188856618&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: hlh
    uiTerm: 188856618
    longDbName: Humanities International Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        02762374
        E6G
      jtl: Empirical Studies of the Arts
      issn: 02762374
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Jan2026
      vid: 44
      iid: 1
      pid: 344
      pub: Sage Publications Inc.
    artinfo:
      ui:
        188856618
        10.1177/02762374251324913
      ppf: 446
      ppct: 17
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: A Kind of Magic: Social Representations of Magic from Magicians and non-Magicians.
      aug:
        au:
          Robieux, Léonore
          Thomas, Cyril
          Botella, Marion
        affil:
          Université Paris 8, LPPC, Saint Denis, France
          Université de Franche-Comté, LdP, France
          Université Paris Cité, LAPEA, Boulogne Billancourt, France
          LAPEA, Univ. Gustave Eiffel, IFSTTAR, Versailles, France
      su:
        Magic
        Magicians
        Visual perception
        Collective representation
        Emotions
        Skepticism
        Cognitive dissonance
      sug:
        subj:
          Magic
          Magicians
          Visual perception
          Collective representation
          Emotions
          Skepticism
          Cognitive dissonance
      keyword:
        magic
        magicians
        non-magicians
        social representation
      ab: Magic is an art form that creates illusory experiences of impossibility by generating a conflict between what we witness and what we believe about the world. The uniqueness of this art has intrigued researchers for over a century. The present study explores the social representations of magic among magicians and non-magicians to understand how these groups perceive magic. Utilizing the framework of Social Representations (SR), which encompasses shared ideas and beliefs, this research aims to better understand the existence of differentiated perceptions of the same object based on one's relationship and proximity to it. The study involved 424 participants, including magicians and non-magicians, who were asked to list words associated with magic. The hierarchical, descending classification analysis revealed five distinct classes of representations, highlighting differences based on interest and expertise in magic. Magicians view magic positively, emphasizing the emotional exchange with the audience, while non-magicians exhibit varied perspectives, from indifference to fascination, influenced by cognitive conflicts and emotional responses. These findings underline the importance of understanding diverse perceptions to enhance the magical experience and suggest further research into how prior beliefs and representations influence the suspension of disbelief.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: Y
      dt:
        @attributes:
          year: 2026
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N