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BRONY STUDY (Research Project)[/FONT][/LEFT]
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Study Results[/FONT][/LEFT]
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[COLOR=#999966]Researcher Profiles[/COLOR][/FONT]
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[COLOR=#999966]Study Results[/COLOR][/FONT]
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[COLOR=#999966]Contact Us[/COLOR][/FONT]
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[SIZE=-0]Thank you again for your assistance with our study. After you have reviewed the following results please help us prepare for our follow up study by leaving your thoughts and suggestions on the Results Feedback Survey below (click on the clipboard).
Below you will find a section entitled "Who are the Bronies" which reviews the Demographic data. This is followed by a section entitled "Brony Fan Behaviors". The final section entitled: "Types of Bronies" will be posted shortly. We hope you enjoy the results, don't forget to share your thoughts and questions on the feeback survey.
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[FONT=Calibri]First, the researchers want to sincerely thank all the Bronies and their family and friends for everyone’s co-operation in completing our surveys. The Brony survey was particularly long and detailed; however, we received 1300 responses in 72 hours, which is an almost unheard-of sample for psychological research. We believe this response reflects a dedication to our project and its goal of helping the world to a truthful understanding of the Brony community.[/FONT][FONT=Calibri]Before we begin to share the study results with you we would like to outline the general purpose and goals of our study:[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]1)[/FONT][FONT=Calibri]To answer the question “Who are these Bronies?†by looking at general population characteristics for example, age, gender. In addition, this information will allow us to address some reoccurring MYTHs about Bronies, for example: “It’s a gay thing!â€[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]2)[/FONT] [FONT=Calibri]To better understand the range of “fan behaviors†displayed by Bronies (e.g., read fan fiction; recruit new members; ask WWPD; etc.). This information will help us to better understand the different functions/benefits that being a Brony plays in people’s lives.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]3)[/FONT] [FONT=Calibri]To determine whether different “Types of Bronies†exist and what fan behaviors and personality characteristics differentiate these types.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Finally, we would like to note that it is our goal as researchers to maintain a detached scientific attitude towards the Brony community. We have heard some concerns expressing the idea that research studies like ours always end up expressing negative and derogatory results. Please understand that it is our goal to find the “truth†about the Brony community and to let the “data speak.†One of us has no direct connection to the community; however, for the other it is personal. Just three months ago a happily adjusted family member announced to the world: “I am a Brony!†With that statement this research project was born out of a desire to understand and an attitude of acceptance and a sense of fascination. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Who are the Bronies?[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]We are far from the point that we can present a thorough analysis of this question with respect to Bronies versus the general population. This is a result of the disappointing lack of responses by the general population (150 as of this writing). But in going through the data we are able to give you a general picture of the Brony population. In addition, we can use this data to dispel some common myths about Bronies. So here it is, and we doubt that those of you who took the survey will be surprised – we weren’t.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Gender: First of all, while 87% of the respondents were male, almost one in eight respondents were female. Obviously, the term Brony conveys the idea of the population as “males who like My Little Pony.†However, it appears that while some female fans of MLP have adopted the term “Pegasister†other use the Brony label. For purposes of our current study we will use the term Brony to cover both male and female adult fans of MLP. Please note: In later analyses we will look at male and female Bronies as separate groups.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Myth: Being a Brony is a male thing! BUSTED as Not True[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Age: Most (53%) of our subjects were under the age of 20 with the next largest group (41%) being between 20 and 30 years old. The average age of our population was 21.33 with our oldest Brony being 57 years old. In fact there were only 9 subjects over the age of 40. Clearly the Bronies in our study represent a late teen and young adult population.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Myth: Most Bronies are young people! True… However, it is possible that our study failed to attract older Bronies or that we failed to recruit them in the internet sites they frequently visit.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Sexual Orientation: Some people might ask why we inquired about sexual orientation when it often represents a very personally and politically sensitive topic. This is true, however, one of the prevailing reactions by people when they first hear about Bronies is to state “It must be a gay thing!†Not surprising to us, 70% of the Bronies described themselves as being heterosexual. Twelve percent identified themselves as bisexual, and only 2% as homosexual. Nine percent labeled themselves as Asexual or not interested in sex and 3% were unsure of their orientation. In general the population was very open in discussing their orientation as only 2% choose to not respond to this question.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Myth: Being a Brony is a sign of a homosexual orientation! Busted as Not True[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Education Level: Nineteen percent of the Bronies are currently students in High School and an addition 15% have completed HS. The largest group of Bronies (43%) is currently in college with an additional 15% who are college graduates. Five percent of the population are currently in or have completed advanced graduate degrees.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Myth: Bronies are highly educated and/or students! True… with sixty three percent of the Bronies in or having completed college they represent an educated population.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Regions of the World: To our surprise, the Brony Phenomenon has a worldwide reach! Bronies from all over the world responded to our survey. Not surprisingly 69% were from North America, however, 21% were from Europe, 7% were from “down under†and 2% from South America. Both Asia and Africa were sparsely represented! It is possible that language issues may have impeded these Bronies from participation or that we failed to recruit them in the internet site they frequently visit.[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]Myth: The Brony Phenomenon is an American (North American) thing! Busted as Not True [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri]These represent a simple presentation of the Demographic data from the survey. As you can see it has addressed several persistence myths about Bronies. [/FONT] [/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Brony Fan Behaviors[/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Now that we have discussed the demographic makeup of our Brony population it is time to talk about our second study question:[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]How do Bronies differ in their interest and approach toward MLP? [/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Any study of a group of fans is going to look at how they view the object of fan interest (MLP in this case) and the specific behaviors, both public and private, that they display. Understanding these factors helps explain differences between Bronies and allows us to look for “types†of Bronies. The 100+ items that asked Bronies about their thoughts, feelings and behaviors/actions towards MLP were studied using a series of Factor Analyses. [/FONT][FONT=Arial]The items had been chosen/created based on interviews with Bronies and research factors that have been found to influence “Avid†fan behaviors in other areas (e.g., sports, movies, etc.). These analyses produced sixteen dimensions/factors upon which Bronies differ. Here is a brief presentation of each along with an item from the survey that best captures this dimension. Please note that we have included the percentage of variance that each factor accounted for, in general the larger this number the stronger that factor is within the Brony population. [/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[I][FONT=Arial]Initial Reaction to MLP [/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Two factors were found to best capture the Bronies’ initial reaction to MLP. They are: [/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Negative Reaction[/FONT][FONT=Arial] - (29% of the variance) This represented a general negative reaction and is represented by the item “I thought the idea that I might like MLP was strange and creepy.†[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Positive Reaction[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (21% of the variance) This represented a general positive reaction and is represented by the item “I thought it was cool and something I could be passionate about." [/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]It is interesting that the initial negative reaction is the stronger reaction, and leads to a [/FONT][FONT=Arial]question of how these Bronies overcame this initial reaction to become a “fan.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[I][FONT=Arial]Show Experience[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]An important question to ask is “what do the Bronies like about the MLP show?†Individual Bronies may like very different aspects of the show. Two factors were found to best explain their interest. They were:[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]ShowFeel[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (46% of the variance) This represents a strong response to the feelings generated by the show and is represented by the item “I find myself drawn onto the total experience of the show, the feelings cannot be put (adequately) into words.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]ShowQual[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (14% of the variance) This represents a response to the stimulus qualities (color, action, story line, etc.) of the show and is represented by the item “I very much enjoy the action and animation of the show.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Please note that individual Bronies maybe high in one of the two, both or neither. In addition, the amount of variance accounted for by the ShowFeel factor seems to indicate that it is the feelings produced by the show that are most important for the majority of Bronies.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[I][FONT=Arial]Fan Behaviors[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]This group of items tried to capture the actions/behaviors of the Bronies with respect to their interest in MLP. The analyses found four groups of these behaviors: [/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Engaged Fan[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (32% of the variance) This group of items relates to the Brony’s interaction with the larger Brony community and is represented by the item “I frequently read MLP fan fiction, and/or follow MLP themed web postings and meme threads.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Visible Fan[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (8% of the variance) These items related to public (or potentially public) behaviors that display to others an interest in MLP it is represented by the item “I collect/own MLP figurines.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Dedicated Fan[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (6% of the variance) These items all pertain to a willingness to sacrifice time and efforts on MLP that could be spent with family and friends. It is represented by the item “I have sacrificed spending time with family and nonBrony friends so that I could be involved with MLP.†[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Rerun Fan[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (5% of the variance) This group of items relate to the Brony’s dedication to the show and their interest in returning to watch the episodes repeatedly. It is represented by the item “I often watch a MLP episode a second time to see what I might have missed.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]The amount of variance accounted for by these factors indicates that the social function (engagement) of being a Brony and interacting with other Bronies plays a significant role in the Brony community.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[I][FONT=Arial]Identity Aspects [/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]A set of items were included to assess the degree and nature of an individuals identification with the Brony community. This analysis yielded two factors:[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Public ID [/FONT][FONT=Arial]– (38% of the variance) This group of items indicates a comfort with and willingness to go public with ones “Bronyhood.†It is represented by the item “I am comfortable talking to people about MLP and admitting that I am a Brony.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Special ID[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (16% of the variance) These items relate to feeling “special†as a Brony. It is represented by the item “As a Brony I feel like I am part of a special group of people.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[I][FONT=Arial]Social Interaction Aspects[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Peer Positive[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (30% of the variance) This group of items relates to positive social interactions with peers about MLP and is represented by the item “If I hear someone using a MLP phase I immediately expect that we will become friends.†[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Family Involvement[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (18% of the variance) These items indicate a degree of family members’ involvement with MLP. It is represented by the item “Some of my family members watch MLP regularly.†[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Isolated Negative[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (12% of the variance) This group of items relate to feelings of isolation, a lack of interest in meeting other Bronies and somewhat negative feelings toward other Bronies. It is represented by the item “Few of my peer group watch MLP.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Once again we see the apparent importance of the social aspect of being a Brony as well as an indication of an isolated subgroup within the population.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[I][FONT=Arial]Moral Aspects[/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Individuals can find meaning and guidance in very different activities. In an effort to investigate the importance of MLP can play in Bronies lives a number of items asked about meaning and guidance. Two factors emerged: [/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Guidance[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (43% of the variance) These items relate to finding a sense of guidance within MLP. It is represented by the item “The MLP moral message represents a realistic approach you can use to face life’s problems.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Faith[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (16% of the variance) This group of items relates to the central priority of MLP in a Brony’s life and it’s almost religious nature. It is represented by the item “It (MLP) is my number one priority, all that I can think about.â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[I][FONT=Arial]Virtues [/FONT][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]A series of items were generated based on the Boy Scout Oath as these represent qualities that are often held up as an ideal.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Virtues Expressed[/FONT][FONT=Arial] – (50% of the variance) A single factor using all nine items relate to the level of “virtues†emphasized by the MLP characters and story lines. The most important of these virtues was “Kindness (Showing compassion towards others whether they are friends or strangers).â€[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial]Individual Bronies can score high or low on these sixteen factors in a multitude of combinations. It is important to look for patterns within these factors and how these patterns are related to personality variables. These sixteen Fan Factors will now be used to create profiles of the different TYPES OF BRONIES. [FONT=Calibri]Again, thank you for your help… visit the webpage later next week for further results and always remember to spread the word about our study to any and all Bronies you meet![/FONT][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]