Study finds fans separate fallen artists from their art in memory
New research from the University of South Florida published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology examines how people rewrite memories of creators after scandals.
Brain separates creator from creation
The study finds that people mentally separate a fallen artist from their work when reconstructing past views. This process allows fans to downgrade opinions of the person while keeping enjoyment of the art intact. Researchers describe this phenomenon as differential memory reconstruction.
Bill Cosby serves as example
Fans of The Cosby Show faced a cultural fallout after lawsuits in 2014 forced them to reevaluate their support for Bill Cosby. The research suggests that disturbing news about an artist triggers the brain to reconcile the creator with the adored art by changing memories in different directions.
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