Association and Dissociation by Football Fans

Abstract

This study examined the tendency of fans to associate themselves with preferred teams when they win and dissociate themselves from preferred teams when they lose. We offered and gave buttons of preferred team to viewers who were watching two teams play a professional football game on television. More fans of the winning team voluntarily gave their postgame reactions and signed their names next to their indicated preferred team than fans of the losing team Analysis of responses to a mood questionnaire completed after the game indicated that fans of the winning team were elated and fans of the losing team were dejected after the game. These results support an hypothesis that fans attain a feeling of vicarious achievement through being fans.