Abstract. Psychologists have often expressed discontent at the fragmentation and lack of unification in the discipline. The present article considers the fable as a potential unifying tool that may integrate distinct psychological topics. Using the fable of The Emperor’s new clothes, the present article first outlines the resemblance of the fable to psychological contagion effects and then discusses how the fable unifies two distinct psychological topics (alternative religious communities and Chomsky’s universal grammar). The use of a fable (or other literary device) may be a novel creative tool that psychologists may use to integrate distinct psychological topics.

Key words: alternative religious communities; fable; psychological contagion; The Emperor’s new clothes; universal grammar

Goddard MJ (2024) The Emperor’s new clothes: using fable as a creative tool to integrate psychology. Creativity 7(1): 175–183. doi:10.22381/C7120242