Phenomenal

WHENEVER Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao brings down an opponent, roars and cheers from Filipinos reverberate across the globe – an astounding phenomenon called the “Pacquiao effect” which moved De La Salle psychology professor Adrianne John Galang to create a study to prove whether the pound-for-pound king is capable of boosting his kababayans’ sense of national identity.
Low crime rates in the Philippines during Pacquiao’s fights were considered “anecdotal evidence” which prove that the pound-for-pound king has the power to influence behavior on a national scale.
Using the Brief Implicit Association Test (BIAT), “a test which measures how a person associates words with concepts shaped by his or her experiences,” Galang gathered 18 of his students to test how strongly they identify themselves as Filipinos.
Galang conducted the test for three consecutive Mondays after Pacquiao won over Ghanian Joshua Clottey on March 14, requiring the students to sit in front of a computer monitor while English words like “self,” “I,” “me” and “mine” were flashed onscreen.
The students were asked to describe whether each word was a Filipino or an American concept. The results revealed that the students associated the three words with “Filipino.”
“This means that the students are closer to the Filipino concept cognitively,” Galang said.
According to Galang, the tests indicated that the students responded much faster on the Monday that preceded Pacquiao’s win, compared to the tests he conducted two weeks after the fight.
However, Galang’s efforts remain inconclusive. He said that the “Pacquiao effect” is still in its early stages and still requires further studies.
Phenomenal or not, Manny Pacquiao clearly remains as the ultimate source of Pinoy pride these days. For a country constantly pummeled by negativity, it is indeed, refreshing to know that one successful person is enough to inspire an entire nation to become resilient — a fact that packs a lot of punch.
(www.asianjournal.com)