Date
3-21-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Kevin Ganey
Keywords
Swifty fan community, social identity, fan engagement, belongingness, Taylor Swift, fandom studies, social psychology, identity theory
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Webb, Jessica Leigh, "You Belong with Me: Examining the Relationship between Engagement in the “Swifty” Fan Community, Feelings of Belonging, and Social Identity" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6610.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6610
Abstract
Belongingness and social identity shape human behavior and group dynamics, yet their relationship with fan engagement remains understudied. This study examines engagement in the “Swifty” fan community—fans of Taylor Swift—and its relationship with belonging and social identity. A quantitative, correlational design addressed three research questions: (1) the relationship between fan engagement and belonging, (2) the relationship between fan identification and belonging, and (3) the relationship between fan identification and social identity. Data were collected via an online Qualtrics survey incorporating the General Belongingness Scale, Three-Factor Model of Social Identity Scale, Popular Media Fan Identity Scale, and demographic items. The survey link was distributed through social media, flyers, university outreach, and personal networks. The final sample included 90 responses, analyzed using Spearman’s rank-order correlation following a Shapiro-Wilk test confirming non-normal data distribution. Results showed a weak positive correlation between fan engagement and belonging (ρ = 0.21, p < 0.05) and a very weak positive correlation between fan identity and belonging (ρ = 0.12, p > 0.05). A moderate positive correlation between fan identity and social identity (ρ = 0.43, p < 0.01) indicates a relationship between higher fan identification and stronger social identity. A moderate negative correlation between age and fan identity (ρ = − 0.35, p < 0.01) indicates younger participants report stronger fan identities. These findings contribute to social psychology and fan studies by highlighting relationships between fan engagement, belongingness, and identity.
