Magic is an art form that creates illusory experiences of impossibility by generating a conflict between what we witness and what we believe about the world. The uniqueness of this art has intrigued researchers for over a century. The present study explores the social representations of magic among magicians and non-magicians to understand how these groups perceive magic. Utilizing the framework of Social Representations (SR), which encompasses shared ideas and beliefs, this research aims to better understand the existence of differentiated perceptions of the same object based on one's relationship and proximity to it. The study involved 424 participants, including magicians and non-magicians, who were asked to list words associated with magic. The hierarchical, descending classification analysis revealed five distinct classes of representations, highlighting differences based on interest and expertise in magic. Magicians view magic positively, emphasizing the emotional exchange with the audience, while non-magicians exhibit varied perspectives, from indifference to fascination, influenced by cognitive conflicts and emotional responses. These findings underline the importance of understanding diverse perceptions to enhance the magical experience and suggest further research into how prior beliefs and representations influence the suspension of disbelief.

中文翻译：

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一种魔法：魔术师和非魔术师对魔法的社会表征


魔法是一种艺术形式，它通过在我们所目睹的和我们对世界的信念之间产生冲突来创造不可能的虚幻体验。一个多世纪以来，这种艺术的独特性一直吸引着研究人员。本研究探讨了魔术师和非魔术师对魔术的社会表征，以了解这些群体如何看待魔术。利用包含共同想法和信念的社会表征 （SR） 框架，本研究旨在更好地了解基于一个人的关系和接近程度对同一对象的差异化感知的存在。该研究涉及 424 名参与者，包括魔术师和非魔术师，他们被要求列出与魔术相关的单词。分层的降序分类分析揭示了五类不同的表现形式，突出了基于对魔法的兴趣和专业知识的差异。魔术师对魔术持积极态度，强调与观众的情感交流，而非魔术师则表现出不同的观点，从冷漠到着迷，受到认知冲突和情绪反应的影响。这些发现强调了理解不同感知以增强魔法体验的重要性，并建议进一步研究先前的信念和表征如何影响怀疑的悬念。