COHFA | Psychology Panel
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Junior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Biology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Dan Wann
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
According to Sheldon and Bettencourt, feeling like you belong to a group has a significantly positive impact on mood. This directly relates to research which discusses how sport fans are more likely to consume sport if they feel like they belong. The sense of belonging drives the individuals to be a part of a group.
Distinctiveness is also an important part of personality. This is the concept that you stand out amongst the crowd. Much like belonging, it has been directly correlated to positive outcomes on mood. It is an innate biological need which drives individuals to form groups (Eastwick, & Hunt, 2014). It also drives consumer behavior. Sport fans are the ultimate consumers. They not only purchase clothes, lawn gear, and decals but they also purchase tickets and even television packages.
What is more important to sport fans, though; standing out or fitting in? In the current study we asked participants to report their favorite sport, complete the sport fandom questionnaire, and complete the belonging (Leary, Kelly, Cottrell, & Schreindorfer, 2013) and distinctiveness scales (Lynn & Harris, 1997). In America, there are four “major” sports –Baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. We predicted that individuals who report their favorite sport as a major sport would have higher levels of the need to belong than those who report a different sport. Likewise, we suspected these individuals would have lower levels of the need for distinctiveness than those who report a different sport.
Results will be discussed.
Affiliations
Psychology: Projects in Progress
Included in
The Few and the Proud: Examining the Need for Belonging and the Need for Distinctiveness in Regards to Sport Choice
According to Sheldon and Bettencourt, feeling like you belong to a group has a significantly positive impact on mood. This directly relates to research which discusses how sport fans are more likely to consume sport if they feel like they belong. The sense of belonging drives the individuals to be a part of a group.
Distinctiveness is also an important part of personality. This is the concept that you stand out amongst the crowd. Much like belonging, it has been directly correlated to positive outcomes on mood. It is an innate biological need which drives individuals to form groups (Eastwick, & Hunt, 2014). It also drives consumer behavior. Sport fans are the ultimate consumers. They not only purchase clothes, lawn gear, and decals but they also purchase tickets and even television packages.
What is more important to sport fans, though; standing out or fitting in? In the current study we asked participants to report their favorite sport, complete the sport fandom questionnaire, and complete the belonging (Leary, Kelly, Cottrell, & Schreindorfer, 2013) and distinctiveness scales (Lynn & Harris, 1997). In America, there are four “major” sports –Baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. We predicted that individuals who report their favorite sport as a major sport would have higher levels of the need to belong than those who report a different sport. Likewise, we suspected these individuals would have lower levels of the need for distinctiveness than those who report a different sport.
Results will be discussed.