The tendency to "bask in reflected glory" (BIRG) by publicly announcing
one's associations with successful others was investigated in three field experi-
ments. All three studies showed this effect to occur even though the person
striving to bask in the glory of a successful source was not involved in the
cause of the source's success. Experiment 1 demonstrated the BIRG phenome-
non by showing a greater tendency for university students to wear school-
identifying apparel after their school's football team had been victorious than
nonvictorious. Experiments 2 and 3 replicated this effect by showing that stu-
dents used the pronoun tee more when describing a victory than a nonvktory
of their school's football team. A model was developed asserting that the BIRG
response represents an attempt to enhance one's public image. Experiments 2
and 3 indicated, in support of this assertion, that the tendency to proclaim a
connection with a positive source was strongest when one's publk image was
threatened.
one's associations with successful others was investigated in three field experi-
ments. All three studies showed this effect to occur even though the person
striving to bask in the glory of a successful source was not involved in the
cause of the source's success. Experiment 1 demonstrated the BIRG phenome-
non by showing a greater tendency for university students to wear school-
identifying apparel after their school's football team had been victorious than
nonvictorious. Experiments 2 and 3 replicated this effect by showing that stu-
dents used the pronoun tee more when describing a victory than a nonvktory
of their school's football team. A model was developed asserting that the BIRG
response represents an attempt to enhance one's public image. Experiments 2
and 3 indicated, in support of this assertion, that the tendency to proclaim a
connection with a positive source was strongest when one's publk image was
threatened.