| Summary: | Backward magical
contagion describes instances in which individuals (sources) express discomfort
or pleasure when something connected to them (medium; e.g., hair, a diary)
falls into the possession of a negatively- or positively-perceived individual
(recipient). The reaction seems illogical, since it is made clear that the
source will never experience the object again, and the psychological effect
appears to reverse the standard forward model of causality. Backward magical
contagion was originally believed to be a belief held only within traditional
cultures. Two studies examined negative backward contagion in adult Americans
in online surveys. Study 1 indicated that backward contagion effects occur
commonly, particularly when a recipient knows of the medium’s source. Study 2
showed that backward contagion effects tend to be neutralized when the
recipient burns the object, as opposed to just possessing it or discarding it.
Ironically, in traditional cultures, burning is a particularly potent cause of
backward contagion.
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