Lynn L. Ridinger

Understanding Consumer Support: Extending the Sport Interest Inventory (SII) to Examine Individual Differences among Women's Professional Sport Consumers

The present study used the Sport Interest Inventory (SII) to further our understanding of how motivation can be characterised as individual difference factors among sport consumers. The SII was augmented through qualitative feedback involving four focus groups, a pilot test (n = 80) and later validated on a sample of season ticket holders and single-game attendees (n = 623) of a Womens National Basketball Association franchise in the United States. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and discriminant validity tests provided support for increasing the SII from 14 to 18 unique constructs. Evidence for the application of the SII to a variety of sporting events was observed in that 14 of the 18 factors have already been confirmed and used to examine spectators of mens competitive teams. The application of the SII to womens sport in general was supported in that 18 unique factors have now been confirmed in womens professional soccer and basketball. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to demonstrate one application of the SII and revealed that 10 motivational factors explained 48% of the variance in level of consumer support for the professional sport team. Implications for the use of the SII by sport managers and directions for future research are discussed.

Capacity of Mass Participant Sport Events for the Development of Activity Commitment and Future Exercise Intention

Mass participation sport events are often cited as increasing population-level physical activity, but empirical evidence is scarce as to their effectiveness. The current research examined the developmental role of these events in increasing positive attitudes toward physically active leisure by a) determining its motivational capacity and b) investigating how sport event participation contributes to activity commitment and future exercise intentions. A multiattribute survey was distributed on-line to participants of a running event held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (N = 2,791) three months after the event. Inferential statistics revealed that 10 motives directed participation across 75% of the population. Multivariate multiple linear regression analyses revealed event participation motives combined with event satisfaction and physical activity involvement explained 30% of running commitment and 31% of future exercise intentions. Most notably, the event promoted stronger attitudes toward regular exercise among participants who were more satisfied with their event experience, least active before the event, and had completed fewer prior organized events. This evidence demonstrates that mass participant sporting events can serve as important social and environmental correlates of physical activity.

Marathons for the Masses: Exploring the Role of Negotiation-Efficacy and Involvement on Running Commitment

Abstract Marathon running is a leisure behavior that has seen tremendous growth during the past decade. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of factors associated with commitment to running for marathon participants. This study was designed to investigate the relationships among negotiation-efficacy, leisure involvement, and psychological commitment for individuals who had participated in a marathon event. A three-facet involvement measure was confirmed and then combined with negotiation-efficacy to predict commitment to running. The results revealed that two involvement dimensions and negotiation-efficacy explained 72% of the variance in commitment. A discussion of findings from the study as well as practical implications and suggestions for future research are presented.

International Student-Athlete Adjustment to College: A Preliminary Analysis

This preliminary investigation was undertaken to determine how well international student–athletes adjusted to college relative to their domestic teammates and the general student body. The results...

Drivers to divas: advertising images of women in motorsport

This study presents an analysis of the evolution of advertisings portrayal of women in motorsport. The construct of source credibility is examined and used as a framework to better understand the limitations and opportunities of female athlete endorsers in general and female racing car drivers in particular. The advertising images of pioneer drivers Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher are discussed and compared to that of Danica Patrick, a media star in the Indy Racing League (IRL). Patrick has been successful in capitalising on her expertise and attractiveness to enhance her image and endorse products. Attitudes towards using sex appeal to sell products are presented and discussed.

The displaced fan: the importance of new media and community identification for maintaining team identity with your hometown team

ABSTRACT Research question: Individuals who move away from their hometowns often remain fans of their hometown teams. In this study, we examine the impact of new media, differences between hometown and current community identification, and the impact of proximity to a National Football League (NFL) market on the team identification of displaced fans. Research methods: To study these questions, an online survey was conducted. The sample included adult Americans (n = 347) who identify as fans of their hometown NFL teams and currently live more than 100 miles away from their hometowns. Structural equation modeling, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance were used to examine the data. Results/findings: Through use of a structural model, we demonstrated that social media, Internet streaming, and hometown identification affected hometown team identification. In addition, mean comparisons demonstrated that fans with higher levels of identification with their hometown communities than their current residences also displayed higher levels of hometown team identification than fans more highly identified with their current residences. Whether an individual moves to another primary NFL market after leaving the hometown was not found to have a statistically significant impact on identification with the hometown team. Implications: Engagement is critical to continued identification amongst sport fans. In this paper, we offer justification for both reaching out to non-local fans and keeping them engaged, and insight into possible avenues for fostering engagement. This may partially explain why professional teams in areas with rapid influxes of residents from other cities struggle to build a highly identified fan base.

Get Serious: Gender and Constraints to Long-Distance Running

Abstract While there has been tremendous growth in participation rates of women in distance running, the percentage of women participating in full marathons has plateaued. This study investigated this phenomenon by exploring whether differences in constraints and constraint negotiation across gender within this serious leisure activity can explain this difference. Survey research was used to collect data from 3,453 marathon and half-marathon finishers. Comparisons found different barriers across both gender and distance. Additional findings suggest, however, that constraints associated with women in leisure in general do not adequately explain the participation differences, and that women may merely define the parameters of serious leisure within distance running differently than men.