A psychological perspective on the features and functions of heroes

This thesis documents a PhD research project, conducted over three years, that investigates the important features and functions associated with heroes. This programme of research was designed to add to the scant literature on this important topic. These novel findings, coupled with existing literature, provide the basis for a new model of heroic influence. These emerging theories and empirical findings facilitate future research and application on this topic, and are likely to be of interest to persons working to understand or instigate positive change in social, educational, organisational, and clinical settings. There are different types of heroes—family members, humanitarians, fictional characters, religious figures, military and civil heroes, and political activists. The research presented in this thesis indicates that bravery, moral integrity, honesty, selfsacrifice, altruism, and conviction are the most defining features of heroic behaviour. The physical and psychological benefits that heroes provide to individuals map onto three dimensions: protecting, enhancing, and moral modelling. The results show that a hero is not the same as the average leader or role model. Overall, this thesis contributes new knowledge about the important characteristics and benefits provided by heroes, reiterating that heroism is a concept of psychological and social significance.