Social identity of Fans and its Interaction with Fandom Hao-Ting Wang Abstract The fan was characterized as a socially-isolated figure and the emphasis had been on one fan’s individual reaction to a celebrity. The interaction between fans was seldom discussed, hence the interpretation of fan behaviour had lacked of the influence from in-group members or out-group. One’s group membership suggests how collective behaviours would form one’s social identity. This essay explores how and why studies in fan behaviour should include the influence of fandom. Fans and their behaviours were regard as the compensation of social disability and presumably pathological behaviours in the related literature. Perhaps, this interpretation results in the exclusion of fandom activity in past discussions. The social-isolated figure of a fan leads to a discussion in the concept of abnormality in psychological studies. Denying the social ability of fans leads to the underestimation of flexibility and dynamics of fandoms. A fandom can be seen as a dynamic system that is shaped by the association between fans. The fandom and the association between fans can be determined as a factor of social categorization of fan. Whether a person is identified as a fan depends on the context. Self- categorization can be seen as a behaviour of defining others rather than the similarity between oneself and the belonged group. Therefore how fans self- categorize into a fandom also depend on interaction between it and sub-in-groups or out-group, which could be other fandoms, or none-fans. The psychological studies of fan should consider fandom to understand the self- categorization of fans. Fan and fandom are interdependent, therefore this will also explain the inappropriateness of describing fan as a solitary figure. To expend the current understanding of fan behaviour, researchers should recognise fans and fandom as socialized social identity. Key Words: Fan behaviour, fandom, para-social relationship, social identity ***** 1. Fan Behaviour in Psychological Studies Fans are often described as an individual seeking intimacy from their relationship with a celebrity. This indicates fans are lack of adequate intimate relationship in real life. The fan-celebrity relationship is a compensation of the unfulfilled social interaction. It is consider as similar to intimate relationship rather than a kind of recognized way of normal interaction between people. Moreover,