Die-Hard and Fair-Weather Fans: Effects of Identification on BIRGing and CORFing Tendencies

TLDR

Prior work shows that individuals strategically adjust self‑presentation by aligning with successful groups (BIRGing) and distancing from negatively viewed groups (CORFing) to preserve self‑esteem. The study examined how allegiance to a group modifies BIRGing and CORFing tendencies. Higher fan identification increased BIRGing and reduced CORFing, whereas moderate or low identification led to less BIRGing and greater CORFing.

Abstract

Previous research has demonstrated that people are capable of strategic self-presentation; they decrease the distance between themselves and successful groups with which they have only the most trivial of associations, and strive to increase the distance between themselves and groups viewed negatively as a result of some perceived failure. These two processes, termed basking-in- reflected-glory (BIRGing) and cutting-off-reflected failure (CORFing) respectively, assist in the maintenance of self-esteem. The current study investigated the extent to which allegiance to a group would modify these general processes. In support of the hypotheses, higher fan identification resulted in increased tendencies to BIRG and decreased tendencies to CORF. In contrast, persons moderate or low in identification were less likely to BIRG and showed an increased likelihood to CORF. Discussion focuses on the role of identification with a group in terms of how it moderates coping with threats to an identity and its impact on self-esteem.