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http://www.psychologicalscience.org/...le.cfm?id=1986
Too long to post. here is just one part of the article.
Loyalty Benefits the Loyal
Apart from strategies that teams use to draw fans, fans themselves utilize psychological strategies to justify and maintain their passion — even when a team's performance is otherwise disappointing.
"Sports fans have perfected methods of coping," says Wann. "If they weren't able to cope, there wouldn't be any sports fans."
They may boost their self-esteem when the team wins by basking in reflected glory, wearing a team-logo shirt the next day, or talking about the game with coworkers at the office.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Social Psychology, Wann and Rick Grieve, professor of psychology at Western Kentucky University, surveyed 148 fans from both teams as they were leaving a sporting event and asked them to rate their agreement with statements that their team's fans has exhibited good behavior and sportsmanship. They were then asked to evaluate the opposing team's fans. The results showed that fans — particularly those of the winning team — were more likely to say that the opposing team's fans displayed worse behavior than their own team's fans, a clear case of in-group bias.
"It almost seems to me that they were using the denigration of other fans as a way to enhance self-esteem," says Grieve. "'Not only is my team better, but man, your fans stink, too.'"
When their team does poorly, however, they may also show biased perceptions against other people, such as the referees, the other team's players, or fans of the other team. Their recollection of events may also be inaccurate.
"The good times are always better than what they really were," says Grieve.
Those who are highly identified with their teams are particularly motivated to use these coping strategies when their teams perform poorly. Because the team is part of their identity, they cannot deny themselves the team's importance.
"Rather than distancing from teams," says Grieve, "They may shift expectations. They shift to cope."
Fans may choose to follow another favorite team in a different sport for a while, or reflect on past glory years, or dream of future success, according to Wann.
Emphasizing loyalty to a team is another way fans can soothe themselves.
When their sports team fails, the highly identified fan might say to him- or herself, "'I'm not like other people, I'm loyal in the face of all they've gone through,'" says Fisher. "'When they are finally successful, everyone will see that I'm really smart.'"
Alternatively, fans might use hindsight bias, according to Grieve. I knew they were going to lose, but I was so loyal I cheered for them anyway.
We are pretty complicated aren't we?
Too long to post. here is just one part of the article.
Loyalty Benefits the Loyal
Apart from strategies that teams use to draw fans, fans themselves utilize psychological strategies to justify and maintain their passion — even when a team's performance is otherwise disappointing.
"Sports fans have perfected methods of coping," says Wann. "If they weren't able to cope, there wouldn't be any sports fans."
They may boost their self-esteem when the team wins by basking in reflected glory, wearing a team-logo shirt the next day, or talking about the game with coworkers at the office.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Social Psychology, Wann and Rick Grieve, professor of psychology at Western Kentucky University, surveyed 148 fans from both teams as they were leaving a sporting event and asked them to rate their agreement with statements that their team's fans has exhibited good behavior and sportsmanship. They were then asked to evaluate the opposing team's fans. The results showed that fans — particularly those of the winning team — were more likely to say that the opposing team's fans displayed worse behavior than their own team's fans, a clear case of in-group bias.
"It almost seems to me that they were using the denigration of other fans as a way to enhance self-esteem," says Grieve. "'Not only is my team better, but man, your fans stink, too.'"
When their team does poorly, however, they may also show biased perceptions against other people, such as the referees, the other team's players, or fans of the other team. Their recollection of events may also be inaccurate.
"The good times are always better than what they really were," says Grieve.
Those who are highly identified with their teams are particularly motivated to use these coping strategies when their teams perform poorly. Because the team is part of their identity, they cannot deny themselves the team's importance.
"Rather than distancing from teams," says Grieve, "They may shift expectations. They shift to cope."
Fans may choose to follow another favorite team in a different sport for a while, or reflect on past glory years, or dream of future success, according to Wann.
Emphasizing loyalty to a team is another way fans can soothe themselves.
When their sports team fails, the highly identified fan might say to him- or herself, "'I'm not like other people, I'm loyal in the face of all they've gone through,'" says Fisher. "'When they are finally successful, everyone will see that I'm really smart.'"
Alternatively, fans might use hindsight bias, according to Grieve. I knew they were going to lose, but I was so loyal I cheered for them anyway.
We are pretty complicated aren't we?
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