[2] Theoretical models have been developed linking utopian thinking to established social psychological concepts such as collective action and system justification.
The second function is change, serving as a motivating force that propels individuals to actively pursue the societal goals depicted in the utopian vision.
Individuals may find satisfaction in their imaginative utopian dreams, potentially leading to a reluctance to pursue actual change in reality.
In summary, while utopian thinking is theorized to play a pivotal role in inspiring social action, there is a potential risk of individuals engaging in hedonic escapism, withdrawing from the real world into the comfort of their imaginative ideals.
Those prompted to articulate "an ideal or best possible society which is hoped or wished for" exhibited heightened intentions to partake in citizenship behaviors compared to a control group, providing evidence for the correlation between utopian thinking and the change function.
In summary, a meta-analysis unveiled an overall positive impact of utopian thinking on criticism, change, and compensation, although the effect sizes varied across studies.
Instead, it is imperative to contrast the fantasy with the realities of the current situation, thereby engaging individuals in contemplating potential methods to achieve the envisioned outcome.
[2] The research team found empirical support for the idea that contrasting the current society after contemplating utopia is more effective in eliciting criticism and change functions.
[6] Smith and colleagues have theorized that the perceiving disparity between the current state of affairs and the envisioned ideal could give rise to a novel identity,[23] which is highly relevant to the process of utopian thinking as well.
[24] Building upon this foundation, Badaan and colleagues have proposed a comprehensive framework that interlinks the study of utopian thinking, collective action, and system justification.
[5] Mental abstraction emerges as a crucial pathway, enabling individuals to explore cognitive alternatives that may not be readily accessible in their daily concrete thought processes.
The authors elucidate that the measure for abstraction predominantly tapped into dispositional rather than situational aspects, making it less susceptible to change through utopian priming.
[citation needed] The antithesis to the concept of utopia is dystopia, representing a society that elicits fear and embodies the worst imaginable conditions.
[30][31] Both utopian and dystopian visions share the commonality of existing solely within the realm of human imagination, diverging significantly from the realities of contemporary society.
[6] Several studies have delved into the significance of these varied responses, aiming to discern whether specific utopian contents prove more effective in eliciting the functions of utopia compared to others.
[citation needed] Upon priming with the Green utopia, individuals demonstrated a greater likelihood of expressing intentions for general societal participation.
[citation needed] Despite employing the same prompt in empirical studies to induce utopian thinking across participants, the responses' content exhibits variations influenced by an array of sociocultural factors.
[5] An examination of social media discourses, employing machine-learning methods, revealed that liberal and conservative users articulated different themes when envisioning ideal societies.
In contrast, conservatives more frequently centered their discussions around themes related to religion, social order, business, capitalism, national symbols, immigration, and terrorism.
[36] To ensure the efficacy and cultural relevance of these agendas, it is crucial to formulate them in a manner that resonates with the unique local contexts of individual countries.
This approach involves soliciting input from people worldwide regarding the type of world they envision, analyzing these responses, and incorporating the findings into development agendas.
[37] By directly consulting with individuals who will both shape and be impacted by these changes, agencies can construct goals that are attuned to the specific needs of different contexts.
This approach facilitates the identification of both universal and culturally specific issues, enabling the development of more nuanced interventions that account for regional differences.
[37] Firstly, the content of utopian imaginations may vary drastically, with some proposals aiming to enhance societal well-being, while others may advocate exclusionary visions detrimental to certain groups of society.
[37] Besides, qualitative data collection from a diverse population demands more time and resources compared to alternative methods, necessitating a consideration of the tradeoff between efficiency and cultural sensitivity.