Exploring Self-Discrepancy Theory in the Context of Sports Fan Dysfunction
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
General Experimental Psychology
2nd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
2nd Student Major
General Experimental Psychology
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Daniel Wann, PhD
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Past research has investigated many facets of fan dysfunction in the context of sports. Courtney and Wann (2010) found that individuals who reported having done bullying behavior in their childhood tended to indicate more fan dysfunction as an adult, while Donahue and Wann (2009) found that greater fan dysfunction was associated with an approval of various forms of aggressive fan behavior. However, there appears to be a gap in the literature surrounding the self-concept of these individuals high in dysfunction. Self-Discrepancy Theory suggests that people have multiple forms of self: the actual self (the person you perceive yourself to truly be), the ideal self (that which you ideally would be), and the ought self (that which you morally should be). The ideal and ought selves exist from your own perspective and the perspectives you imagine those important in your life have of you (e.g. how you believe your mother, partner, etc. would want you to be) (Higgins, 1987). The current study investigates if dysfunctional sport fans ideally want to act in a dysfunctional manner, if they think they morally should act in this way, and if they believe that other sport fans of their team think they should act in this way. Surveys were distributed at the University’s Homecoming Event and a November basketball game. The survey consisted of the Sports Fandom Questionnaire, the Dysfunctional Sports Fan Questionnaire, and three additional derivations of the Dysfunctional Sports Fan Questionnaire that measure participants' own-ideal (who they ideally want to be), own-ought (who they think they morally should be), and other-ought (who they think others think they morally should be) selves. The survey also contained a brief demographic section asking their age, sex, gender, ethnicity, and level of education. Results suggest that people who are highly dysfunctional have higher dysfunction for their ought, ideal, and external selves, with the external self being rated the highest. A median split revealed low- dysfunction fans rate the actual self significantly lower than their ideal, ought, and external selves, and the ideal self rated lower than the external and ought, while highly dysfunctional fans had no differences between the selves. Discrepancy scores were significantly different between the two groups; highly dysfunctional fans’ ought selves was less dysfunctional than their actual selves, while low dysfunction fans’ ought self scored higher on the questionnaire than their actual self.
Spring Scholars Week 2026
Psychology: Completed Projects
Exploring Self-Discrepancy Theory in the Context of Sports Fan Dysfunction
Past research has investigated many facets of fan dysfunction in the context of sports. Courtney and Wann (2010) found that individuals who reported having done bullying behavior in their childhood tended to indicate more fan dysfunction as an adult, while Donahue and Wann (2009) found that greater fan dysfunction was associated with an approval of various forms of aggressive fan behavior. However, there appears to be a gap in the literature surrounding the self-concept of these individuals high in dysfunction. Self-Discrepancy Theory suggests that people have multiple forms of self: the actual self (the person you perceive yourself to truly be), the ideal self (that which you ideally would be), and the ought self (that which you morally should be). The ideal and ought selves exist from your own perspective and the perspectives you imagine those important in your life have of you (e.g. how you believe your mother, partner, etc. would want you to be) (Higgins, 1987). The current study investigates if dysfunctional sport fans ideally want to act in a dysfunctional manner, if they think they morally should act in this way, and if they believe that other sport fans of their team think they should act in this way. Surveys were distributed at the University’s Homecoming Event and a November basketball game. The survey consisted of the Sports Fandom Questionnaire, the Dysfunctional Sports Fan Questionnaire, and three additional derivations of the Dysfunctional Sports Fan Questionnaire that measure participants' own-ideal (who they ideally want to be), own-ought (who they think they morally should be), and other-ought (who they think others think they morally should be) selves. The survey also contained a brief demographic section asking their age, sex, gender, ethnicity, and level of education. Results suggest that people who are highly dysfunctional have higher dysfunction for their ought, ideal, and external selves, with the external self being rated the highest. A median split revealed low- dysfunction fans rate the actual self significantly lower than their ideal, ought, and external selves, and the ideal self rated lower than the external and ought, while highly dysfunctional fans had no differences between the selves. Discrepancy scores were significantly different between the two groups; highly dysfunctional fans’ ought selves was less dysfunctional than their actual selves, while low dysfunction fans’ ought self scored higher on the questionnaire than their actual self.