This study examined points of attachment (POA), or how sports fans experience multiple types of identification beyond team allegiance (e.g., identification with players, coaches, levels of sport, the sport itself, and university/region) at different levels of fandom. More specifically, high school, collegiate (i.e., National Collegiate Athletic Association), and professional (i.e., National Football League) football fans ( N = 698) were asked to respond to items that have been associated with six POA in previous studies, as well as items that tested a new point of attachment to conference/division of a fan's favorite team. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that this revised seven-factor, 21-item points of attachment index demonstrated adequate overall fit. Our findings also indicated that multiple POA differed significantly among high school, collegiate, and professional football fans. Theoretical implications, future research, and limitations are also discussed.

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Parasocial interaction (PSI) involves attraction to and subsequent relationship development with mediated characters. This study examined the nature of PSI in NASCAR fans, the fastest growing sport in the United States. Our findings indicated that PSI among NASCAR fans is a multi-dimensional concept consisting of parasocial enjoyment and parasocial attachment. Furthermore, PSI was linked to increased audience activity (involvement, intentionality and affinity), higher levels of NASCAR fandom, positive perceptions of a favorite driver’s corporate sponsors, sex, NASCAR fandom within ones family, and NASCAR viewing motives. The results of this study examine the strong parasocial bond between fan and driver and may have direct implications for marketers of NASCAR.

Relational reconnection is a prominent yet under-explored function of social network sites (SNS) that encompasses both the activation and subsequent maintenance of dormant social ties. The present investigation used two data collections (Study 1, six university sample; Study 2, national United States sample) to explore the characteristics of friends who reconnect using SNS, and attempt to predict whether reconnected relationships persisted beyond the initial reconnection. Results indicated that relational reconnection is extremely common, especially among same-sex friends and individuals who identify as heavy SNS users. Predicted outcome value emerged as the best predictor of persistence beyond initial reconnection, in addition to engaging in modality expansion, being female, and reactivating a relationship with greater perceived development preloss-of-contact.

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