Testing the team identification–social psychological health model: Mediational relationships among team identification, sport fandom, sense of belonging, and meaning in life.

Abstract

The team identification-social psychological health model predicts that sport team identification leads to social connections which, in turn, result in well-being. This pattern of effects was tested in a sample of 380 college students completing measures of sport fandom, identification with their university's men's basketball team, sense of belonging, and meaning in life. Mediation analyses and structural equation modeling indicated that, as expected, belonging mediated the relationship between identification and meaning in life. In addition, belonging also mediated the relationship between fandom and meaning in life. Discussion includes the importance of the well-being consequences of social ties gained through sport fandom, including connections that are more casual in nature.

Spectator Sport and Population Health: A Consultation with U.S. College Athletics Employees

“…Moreover, in the broader social psychological literature, the social identity approach to health (Haslam et al, 2009) has been developed to illustrate the psychological processes through group identification with a social category (such as a sport team) is linked with different aspects of well-being, including social well-being. However, empirical studies of sport fans have yet to fully support the hypotheses drawn from these frameworks (Wann, Hackathorn, & Sherman, 2017;Wann et al, 2011). This lack of conclusive evidence highlights the opportunity for future sport management researchers to contribute meaningful knowledge to practitioners by producing conceptual and empirical work that illustrates how spectator sport events can be designed and promoted to positively impact the social well-being of sport consumers and local residents.…”

Social Inclusion around Newly Promoted Football Clubs

“…Following a football club gives the individual an occasion to relate to something bigger than the self (Wann, Hackathorn & Sherman, 2017), to an ideal holding a certain importance for the community. Going to the stadium is an opportunity for social participation at a shared experience alongside other members of the community (Bale, 2000;McGuire, 2008;Parnell, Pringle, Widdop & Zwolinsky, 2015;Watson, 2000).…”

Overcome Discrimination: A Logistic Regression with 10-year Longitudinal Investigation of Emo Kids’ Facebook Posts

“…If these adolescents were negatively stereotyped, low in self-esteem, and have lack of social support; being a part of fandom or fanship might be the factor that heightens their self-esteem [50], [51], and allows them to healthily grow up as well as people in mainstream culture [52]. Joining fan community could provide fans with sense of belonging and that brings about self-esteem [53]- [55]. While fans listen to their favorite songs, the music could stimulate their self-esteem [35], especially for metal music fans who extremely believe in ones' own authenticity [56].…”