Iouri Bernache-Assollant

Basking in Reflected Glory and Blasting Differences in Identity-Management Strategies Between Two Groups of Highly Identified Soccer Fans

This study examines, in soccer fanzines, two identity-management strategies—basking in reflected glory (BIRGing) and blasting—of two groups of highly identified soccer fans with allegiance to the same team. Results show strong support for the BIRG phenomenon among both ultra fan groups but little evidence of the blasting phenomenon among either group. The implications of these findings are discussed in regard to social identity management among sports fans.

Do fans care about hot dogs? A satisfaction analysis of French ice hockey spectators.

The purpose of this research was to identify the contribution of sporting event service attributes to spectator satisfaction in a French ice hockey context. Based on the tetra-class model, the results demonstrated that some service attribute contributions vary upon spectators team identification whereas some do not. This survey highlighted the prior and non-prior service attributes in order to satisfy spectators, amateurs and fans and reinforced the crucial role of segmentation in sport event attendance analysis.

Identity Crossbreeding in Soccer Fan Groups: A Social Approach. The Case of Marseille (France)

The object of this investigation was to clarify certain mechanisms of identity categorization by studying, from a sociohistorical and psychological perspective, two groups of soccer fans from the city of Marseille. Through this pluralistic social approach, a more precise differentiation of the types of identity construction for both groups was able to be determined. Each type is the product of identity crossbreeding, dependant on specific social, historical and psychological factors. The “Commando Ultra” (“CU”) group develops a conservative attitude in that its national culture becomes a reference criterion for ethnocentric fans. The fan group, “South Winners” (“SW”) develops a syncretistic attitude for regional fans who defend the multicultural identity of Marseille.

Refining the relationship between ingroup identification and identity management strategies in the sport context: The moderating role of gender and the mediating role of negative mood

The aim of this exploratory research was to refine the relationship between ingroup identification and three classical identity-management strategies: individual mobility, social competition and social creativity. More specifically, in the particular context of sport spectators’ reactions to their team loss, we tested the moderating role of gender in differentiating the use of CORFing (distancing) strategy and the mediating role of negative mood in differentiating the use of social competition and social creativity strategies. To this end, 173 French physical education students were asked to watch an edited video clip about a defeat of the French national rugby union team. As expected, and consistent with past research, results first showed that the amount of team identification is a reliable determinant of the participants’ choice of an identity management strategy. Highly identified spectators were more associated with engaging themselves in ingroup-protective behaviors (i.e., blasting and boosting) than spectators low in team identification who, in contrast, privileged distancing strategies (i.e., CORFing). Moreover, results revealed that participant’s gender moderates the link between ingroup identification and CORFing strategy, and that negative mood mediates the ingroup identification—blasting strategy relationship. Theoretical implications of these moderating and mediating effects are then discussed.

Examining a negative halo effect to anabolic steroids users through perceived achievement goals, sportspersonship orientations, and aggressive tendencies

We investigated the social image of anabolic steroids (AS) users grounding our analysis on the achievement goal theory of Nicholls. Our main goal was to explore how an athletes acceptance of AS use would impact on the way that athlete will be perceived by others. Non-AS-using participants reacted to one of two scenarios portraying a male athlete either accepting or refusing to engage in drug use behavior. The results suggested that the acceptance of anabolic steroids yielded an unfavorable social image--perceivers inferred a predominant ego orientation to characterize the AS-users motivation as well as weaker sportspersonship and a stronger proclivity for reactive aggression than instrumental aggression. Moreover, the analyses did not yield significant gender or interaction effects. Finally, those findings are commented in view of methodological shortcomings and of the perspectives that they may offer for future research concerning the motivational aspects of the social perceptions of drug use in sport.

Perceptions of Sport Fans: An Exploratory Investigation Based on Aggressive and Cheating Propensities

Abstract This exploratory investigation examined female non sport fans’ (NSFs) impressions of male and female sport fans (SFs) who were supporting either a male or female sextyped sport. Based on the basic tenets of contemporary models of person perception (Bodenhausen et al., 2007; Brewer, 1988; Devine, 1989; Fiske & Neuberg, 1990), we predicted that processes of stereotyping would take place amongst our sample of female NSFs so that masculine elements (i.e., gender and sex‐typing) would foster negative perceptions of SFs, whereas feminine elements would yield positive perceptions. To this end, 176 female students (Mage = 20.31 years) completed scales assessing their perceptions of a sport fan described in one of four hypothetical scenarios (i.e., female SF supporting a female or male sport and male SF supporting a male or female sport). As expected, the results of a MANOVA indicated that female SFs supporting a female sport were perceived more positively (i.e., as less likely to engage in deviant behaviors such as aggression and cheating). In addition, participants identified themselves more strongly with female SFs supporting a female sport than with SFs of the other three groups. These findings are discussed in terms of the literature on sports stereotypes and literature on the media.

Understanding the consequences of victory amongst sport spectators: The mediating role of BIRGing

Abstract Prior work on the relationships between team identification and spectators’ reactions to ones team victory has largely neglected the potential effects of mediating variables. In this research, we proposed that the process of Basking in Reflected Glory [BIRGing – the tendency to reduce the distance between oneself and ones team; Cialdini, R. B., Bordon, R. J., Thorne, A., Walker, M. R., Freeman, S., & Sloan, L. R. (1976). Basking in reflected glory: Three (football) field studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34, 366–375] would lead spectators to almost take ownership of victories and share its benefits, thereby impacting their sense of national belonging in a positive manner. To this end, participants (N = 73) were asked to watch an edited video clip showing a victory of the French national rugby team playing against South Africa. As expected, results revealed that BIRGing mediated the relationship between team identification and ones sense of national belonging. In closing, a number of implications are discussed along with future research avenues pertaining to the sport spectatorship literature.

Casual spectators and die-hard fans' reactions to their team defeat: A look at the role of territorial identification in elite French rugby

This research investigated the role of two foci of identification (team and territory) on identity management strategies used by sport followers in the particular context of elite French rugby union. In study 1 which dealt with casual spectators (N = 153), the results corroborated numerous studies conducted in the North-American context and showed that team identification constitutes a strong driver for offensive and loyalty reactions. In study 2 which dealt with die-hard fans (N = 64), it appeared that team identification seems to be the best predictor of team loyalty strategy whereas territorial identification seems to be the first predictor of offensive strategies. Taken together, the studies showed the importance of considering the specific context in which sport fanship takes place.

Competitive Cycling and Doping: Proposing a Functional Analysis Based on the Color Yellow

The authors demonstrate in three experiments (N = 241) that yellow impacts on social perceptions when associated with competitive cycling. In Experiment 1, the image of a syringe evocated competitive cycling and doping more strongly when presented on yellow as compared with gray. In Experiment 2, a performance improvement scenario yielded more discredit of a depicted racer and higher suspicions of doping when ending on a yellow frame, as opposed to a gray one. In Experiment 3, the image of a racer wearing a yellow jersey (instead of a gray or a white one) yielded the lowest scores on measures of suitability as a role model and attractiveness of sport participation. Moreover, no significant differences emerged for gender, thereby suggesting equivalent effects for female and male participants. Finally, the authors discuss conceptual and practical implications as well as limitations before proposing a number of avenues for future research.

Yellow and social perceptions of racing cyclists' sportspersonship: Proposing an inter-contextual analysis.

ABSTRACT Through inter-contextual designs, the present set of experiments sought to explore whether the colour yellow would impact on social perceptions of sportspersonship exclusively in relation to competitive cycling. In Experiment 1 (N = 149), a silhouette image of a cyclist on a yellow background yielded lower perceptions of sportspersonship in comparison to grey or to the context of motocross, regardless of the colour. That interaction was conceptually replicated in Experiment 2 (N = 146) while changing measures (i.e., adaptation of the World Anti-Doping Code) and the context of comparison to sprinting. Furthermore, female and male observers’ scores did not differ significantly thereby suggesting that yellow impacted on perceived sportspersonship similarly across gender. On the whole, those findings suggest that yellow can generate negative impressions of racing cyclists because, with years, this colour took on a meaning of opportunism from frequent pairings with doping. We close with discussing a number of limitations and future research avenues.