Trait verbal aggression, sports fan identification, and perceptions of appropriate sports fan communication

Weaver

Belva

et al. 2015

JAS

The current investigation was designed to extend previous work on the aggressive actions of youth baseball spectators (Hennessy & Schwartz, 2007) by incorporating team identification into the research. Team identification, the extent to which a fan feels a psychological connection to a team, (Wann, Melnick, Russell, & Pease, 2001) has been found to be an important predictor of a wide variety of aggressive actions among sport consumers (Wann, 2006). Spectators (N = 80) at youth baseball games completed a questionnaire packet assessing demographics, team identification, vengeance, anger, hostility, and the likelihood of acting in a verbally or physically aggressive manner toward a number of potential targets (e.g., officials, opposing players). Consistent with expectations, team identification predicted a willingness to commit verbally aggressive acts. However, identification did not predict physical aggression.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Section: The Current Investigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Impact of Team Identification on the Willingness to Commit Verbal and Physical Aggression by Youth Baseball Spectators

Weaver

Belva

et al. 2015

JAS

“…Some of this research has focused on the consequences of high levels of team identification (Dietz-Uhler and Lanter, 2008;Wann, 2006b). For instance, research has linked high levels of team identification with intense affective reactions to watching a team compete , an increased likelihood to respond aggressively (Rocca and Vogl-Bauer, 1999;Wann et al, 1999a), displays of ingroup bias (Dimmock et al, 2005), and levels of social psychological well-being (Wann, 2006c). Further, and of particular importance to sport marketing and management professionals, team identification plays a major role in direct and indirect sport consumption, such as event attendance and purchases of team products (Fisher, 1998;Kwon and Armstrong, 2006;Madrigal, 2000;Matsuoka et al, 2003;Theodorakis et al, 2009;Wakefield, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between sport team identification and the need to belong

Theodorakis

Nassis

et al. 2012

IJSMM

Because sport team identification plays an important role in facilitating higher levels of sport attendance and consumption (Wann et al., 2001), sport management and marketing professionals are often interested in determining variables that serve as antecedents of identification. Some authors have suggested that the need to belong may be one such variable (Gwinner and Swanson, 2003;Wann et al., 2001). Thus, two studies were designed to examine the relationship between need to belong and identification. Study 1 involved 119 US college students completing measures of demographics, identification, fandom, and the need to belong. Consistent with expectations, the need to belong was positively correlated with level of identification with a local sport team, but not identification with a distant team or mere sport fandom. Study 2 contained a sample of 100 Greek university students and replicated the positive relationship between identification with a local team and the need to belong. Discussion centres on the causal relationships among the variables, implications for fans of distant teams, and suggestions for sport marketers and managers.

“…). This literature has targeted a variety of fan responses including aggression (Rocca & Vogl-Bauer, 1999;Wann, 1993), motivation (Wann, Grieve, Zapalac, & Pease, 2008;Woo, Trail, Kwon, & Anderson, 2009), sponsorship (Bennett, Ferreira, Lee, & Polite, 2009;Madrigal, 2004), and game attendance (Armstrong, 2008;Koo & Hardin, 2008). Much of this research has highlighted the important role played by a fan's level of team identification.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying the Team Identification—Social Psychological Health Model to Older Sport Fans

Rogers

Dooley

et al. 2011

Int J Aging Hum Dev

According to the Team Identification-Social Psychological Health Model (Wann, 2006b), team identification and social psychological health should be positively correlated because identification leads to important social connections which, in turn, facilitate well-being. Although past research substantiates the hypothesized positive relationship between team identification and well-being, earlier studies focused solely on college student populations. The current study extended past work in this area by investigating the team identification/well-being relationship among older sport fans. A sample of older adults (N = 96; M age = 70.82) completed scales assessing demographics, identification with a local college basketball team, and measures of social psychological well-being. As hypothesized, team identification accounted for a significant proportion of unique variance in two measures of social psychological health (collective self-esteem and loneliness).