People who become superheroes tend to be good people

In the world of movies, manga and anime, superheroes with supernatural abilities are fighting every day to save the world. Experimental results have been published that show that people try to act for others simply by seeing such superheroes and experiencing and behaving like superheroes.

Superhero cosplay makes you a better person for one science-backed reason
https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/superhero-cosplay-scientific-benefits

A paper published in 2018 reports experiments conducted on a total of 246 people, 110 females and 136 males. In this experiment, 123 people, half of the total, were made to wait in the room with the Superman poster, and the other half of the subjects were made to wait in the room with the bicycle poster. The research team then asked the subjects to explain the surrounding environment in writing and then asked, 'Will you stay in the room and cooperate with another study?'

As a result, 91% of the subjects who waited in the room with the poster of Superman offered to cooperate with the study, while the group of subjects who waited in the room with the poster of the bicycle went to the study. It seems that 75% offered to cooperate. From this result, the research team argues that 'just looking at a superhero can affect the desire to help others.'

In 2013, an experiment using virtual reality (VR) was conducted. In this experiment, half of the 30 or so subjects were able to fly like Superman in VR space. And the other half of the subjects were able to fly around in the virtual experience of riding a helicopter. The research team then deliberately knocked down the cup as the subject removed the VR headset and investigated how the subject responded in 5 seconds.

As a result, all six who did not pick up the cup were subjects who had a helicopter experience. Also, subjects who experienced flying in the sky like Superman responded faster than helicopter subjects and picked up the cup.

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt said heroic factors, such as virtuous behavior and moral beauty, cause a person's 'elevation' and that exhilaration motivates them to take more virtuous actions. doing. Also, clinical psychologist Robin Rosenberg said that flying in VR promotes concepts and stereotypes about superheroes, especially supermen, and leads to a desire to help people in the real world. I am saying. 'The association with a superhero may shift the subject's identity to'a person who helps others,'' Rosenberg replied.

There are also studies suggesting that there is a physiological mechanism behind this 'relationship between moral content and uplifting feeling'. In an experiment conducted in 2008, when breastfeeding women were shown 'moral content footage', they were more willing to protect their infants than when they were shown 'fun comedy footage'. It turns out that the chances of hugging are slightly higher. At the same time, women who saw images of uplifting moral ideas increased their release of the hormone oxytocin, which is involved in social behavior, and the research team pointed out that it may be related to uplifting moral ideas.

Lucy Saxon, a cosplayer and writer, said, 'When I cosplay Captain America, I feel like I'm a different person. Even after I take off my costume, I feel like I'm stronger. Superheroes are the ones who empower people and give them another way to do things that seem impossible. Cosplay explores the power of superheroes. It's another way. '