A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Fictosexuality, Fictoromance, and Fictophilia: A Qualitative Study of Love and Desire for Fictional Characters




AuthorsKarhulahti Veli-Matti, Välisalo Tanja

Publication year2021

JournalFrontiers in Psychology

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575427

Web address https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575427

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/Publication/51250911


Abstract

Fictosexuality, fictoromance, and fictophilia are terms that have recently become popular in online environments as indicators of strong and lasting feelings of love, infatuation, or desire for one or more fictional characters. This article explores the phenomenon by qualitative thematic analysis of 71 relevant online discussions. Five central themes emerge from the data: (1) fictophilic paradox, (2) fictophilic stigma, (3) fictophilic behaviors, (4) fictophilic asexuality, and (5) fictophilic supernormal stimuli. The findings are further discussed and ultimately compared to the long-term debates on human sexuality in relation to fictional characters in Japanese media psychology. Contexts for future conversation and research are suggested.


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Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 14:57