Generalizing the team identification: social psychological health model for adolescents.
Wann, Daniel L. ; Brasher, Matthew ; Thomas, Danielle L. 等
Team identification, defined as the extent to which a fan feels a
psychological connection to a team (Warm & Branscombe, 1993; Warm,
Melnick, Russell, & Pease, 2001), has been found to impact a wide
array of responses among sport followers (Dietz-Uhler & Lanter,
2008; Warm, 2006a). For example, team identification is related to
evaluations of players (Wann et al., 2006), level of aggression (Dimmock
& Grove, 2005), affective responses to competitions (Bizman &
Yinon, 2002; Kwon, Lee, & Lee, 2008), physiological reactions to
team-relevant stimuli (Hillman, Cuthbert, Bradley, & Lang, 2004),
and attendance (Bodet & Bernache-Assollant, 2009; Wakefield &
Sloan, 1995).
One of the more extensive lines of research involving team
identification concerns the relationship between this variable and
psychological well-being. According to the Team Identification--Social
Psychological Health Model (TI-SPHM; Wann, 2006b), identification and
well-being should be positively related when the identification results
in increased connections with others. Two circumstances are predicted to
lead to such connections. First, fans who live in or near the geographic
location of the team should receive enduring connections via their
interest in the team (e.g., a Boston Red Sox baseball fan residing in
Boston will frequently find herself in the company of other Red Sox
fans).
In addition, fans not living near their team may receive temporary
connections when they find themselves within the company of other fans
of the team (e.g., a Red Sox fan living in Chicago who gathers with
other displaced Red Sox fans to watch the team on television). These
connections are expected to lead to improved state and/or trait social
psychological health, but not personal well-being as team identification
is a social category and, thus, should primarily have implications for
social well-being. This process is also predicted to be impacted by
threats to the fan's team-relevant identity (e.g., poor team
performance, player arrests) and the fan's ability to cope with the
threats.
The various components of Wann's (2006b) model have received
strong empirical support. For instance, team identification is
associated with the development and maintenance of social connections
(Phua, 2012; Wann, Waddill, Polk, & Weaver, 2011) and the
self-concepts of highly identified fans are often threatened by their
team's poor performances (Hirt, Zillmann, Erickson, & Kennedy,
1992). In addition, fans develop and utilize a wide range of coping
strategies to combat the threats (Wann, 2006b) including biased
attributions (Wann & Dolan, 1994), biased perceptions of team
performance (Markman & Hirt, 2002), and utilization of superstitious
behaviors (Wann et al., 2013). However, most critical to support of the
TI-SPHM is the documentation of the positive relationship between team
identification and social well-being. Beginning with the work of
Branscombe and Wann (1991), a large number of studies have found that
identification (with a local team) is positively correlated with various
measures of social psychological health. For instance, compared to
persons with low levels of team identification, highly identified fans
report higher levels of collective (i.e., social) self-esteem (Aden
& Titsworth, 2012; Phua, 2012; Warm, 1994), social integration (Wann
& Weaver, 2009), and trust in others (Wann & Polk, 2007), as
well as lower levels of loneliness (Wann, Dimmock, & Grove, 2003)
and alienation (Branscombe & Wann, 1991). Highly identified fans
also have been found to exhibit a more psychologically healthy profile
as assessed through standard personality inventories such as the Profile
of Mood States and the Neuroticism-Extroversion-Openness Personality
Inventory-Revised (Wann, Dunham, Byrd, & Keenan, 2004; Wann, Inman,
Ensor, Gates, & Caldwell, 1999). The aforementioned relationships
between identification and well-being generalize to a variety of test
settings (e.g., at the arena or in a university classroom), among both
marquee and non-marquee sports, and both in-season and off-season (Wann,
Keenan, & Page, 2009; Wann, Walker, Cygan, Kawase, & Ryan,
2005). Further, longitudinal research suggests that the relationship
between identification and wellbeing is likely causal in nature (Wann,
2006c).
The Current Study and Hypotheses
Although the list of research indicating the positive relationship
between identification and social well-being is extensive, Wann, Rogers,
Dooley, and Foley (2011) noted a limitation to this line of work in that
participant samples were extremely homogenous. Specifically, they stated
that, "to date, each study documenting the positive relationship
between sport team identification and social psychological health has
relied on college student populations" (p. 305). To help remedy
this methodological shortcoming and expand the generalizability of the
TI-SPHM, Warm and his colleagues (2011) examined the team identification
and social well-being of a sample of elderly adults (M age = 70.82
years; range = 50-95 years; 39 male and 57 female). Consistent with the
model, their results replicated previous research testing college
students as team identification was a significant predictor of various
indices of social health. This pattern of effects held even with other
individual difference variables included in the regression equation
(e.g., age, marital status, employment status).
The aim of the current investigation was to continue the work of
Wann et al. (2011) by examining the generalizability of the TI-SPHM to a
younger (adolescent) population. Therefore, we tested the hypothesized
positive relationship between identification and social well-being in a
high school setting. Recent work indicates that individuals can develop
and maintain high levels of identification with high school teams and
that their identification is related to a number of factors such as
having played on or served as a cheerleader for the team, following the
team via the media, and attending the team's games (Grieve et al.,
2013). Although research on fandom and spectating within the realm of
high school sports is somewhat scarce, one recent study has relevance
for the current investigation. This research, conducted by Reding,
Grieve, Derryberry, and Paquin (2011), tested the TI-SPHM within high
school sports. Participants (adults and college students) completed a
questionnaire packet assessing level of identification with their high
school football team, identification with their community, and measures
of social well-being. Consistent with expectations and the TI-SPHM,
identification with the high school team was a significant unique
predictor of both community identification (i.e., high school football
identification was related to connections with others) and social
well-being (i.e., higher levels of extraversion and collective
self-esteem).
The findings reported by Reding and his colleagues (2011) indicate
that the TI-SPHM is applicable to identification with high school sport
teams as well as teams at the collegiate and professional levels.
However, participants in the Reding et al. work were college students
and adult members of the local community. As noted above, our goal was
to examine the generalizability of Wann's (2006b) model to
adolescent fans by investigating the relationship between their level of
identification with their high school's football team and social
psychological health. Wann's model does not suggest that this
relationship should be limited to adults, and prior work (Warm et al.,
2011) has found that the model generalizes to populations of varying
age. Thus, we expected the components of the TI-SPHM to be substantiated
with a younger sample as well. We tested the applicability of
Wann's model to younger persons by asking high school students to
complete a questionnaire packet assessing their level of identification
with their high school's varsity football team, their general level
of sport fandom, and three measures of well-being. Two of the well-being
scales assessed social psychological health (satisfaction with
one's social life and degree of social isolation) while one scale
assessed a component of personal well-being (degree of emotional
isolation). Based on the Team Identification--Social Psychological
Health Model, the following hypotheses were generated and tested:
Hypothesis 1: It was hypothesized that team identification would
account for a significant proportion of unique variance for assessments
of social well-being (satisfaction with social life and social
isolation). Specifically, higher levels of social life satisfaction and
lower levels of social isolation were expected to correspond with higher
levels of team identification. This hypothesis was based on the
aforementioned predictions from the model that identification with a
local team will be related to social well-being and substantiated by the
empirical work described above.
Hypothesis 2: It was predicted that mere sport fandom would not
account for a significant proportion of unique variance for any of the
assessments of well-being (satisfaction with social life, social
isolation, or emotional isolation). This pattern of effects was expected
because, according to the TI-SPHM, fandom should not lead to social
connections as readily as identification with a specific local team. As
a result, fandom should not result in well-being benefits (see Warm,
2006b). The lack of relationship between mere fandom and well-being has
been noted in several empirical investigations (e.g., Theodorakis, Wann,
Nassis, & Luellen, 2012; Warm & Weaver, 2009).
Hypothesis 3: It was predicted that team identification would not
account for a significant proportion of unique variance for assessments
of personal well-being (emotional isolation), because, according to the
model, identification has implications for social wellbeing rather than
personal well-being (see Wann, 2006b). This pattern of effects has been
substantiated in multiple studies (e.g., Normansell & Wann, 2010;
Wann, Pierce, et al., 2003).
Method
Participants
The original sample consisted of 93 students attending a public
mid-sized high school in the mid-south (enrollment was slightly over 500
at the time of testing). However, 5 participants returned incomplete
protocols and were removed from the sample. Therefore, the final sample
consisted of 88 students (53 male; 35 female; 12 who were members of the
band; 17 who were members of the football team). They had a mean age of
16.43 years (SD = 1.19). Most participants were seniors (48%), although
all classes were well-represented (freshmen = 15%; sophomores = 14%;
juniors = 21%; 2% not reporting).
Materials and Procedure
Subsequent to receiving IRB approval and gaining
participant/parental consent, respondents (tested in groups in a high
school cafeteria) completed a questionnaire packet containing five
sections. The first section assessed demographics as respondents
indicated their age, gender, year in school, whether or not they played
in the school's marching band (the marching band regularly
performed at half time of the target school's home football games),
and whether or not they played on the high school's football team.
Next, participants were instructed to complete the seven-item,
Likert-scale format Sport Spectator Identification Scale (SSIS; Wann
& Branscombe, 1993) targeting their high school's football
team. The SSIS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing team
identification (Wann & Branscombe, 1993). This scale has been used
in dozens of studies (Wann et al., 2001) and has been translated into
multiple languages including Portuguese (Theodorakis, Wann, Carvalho,
& Sarmento, 2010) and French (Bernache, Bouchet, & Lacassagne,
2007). A sample item read, "How important is being a fan of (target
team) to you?" Response options ranged from 1 (low identification)
to 8 (high identification). Thus, higher numbers represented greater
levels of team identification.
The third section of the packet contained the Sport Fandom
Questionnaire (SFQ; Wann, 2002). The SFQ is a reliable and valid
unidimensional instrument designed to assess participants' degree
of identification with the role of sport fan. The scale is comprised by
five Likert-scale items. A sample item read, "Being a sport fan is
very important to me." Response options ranged from 1 (strongly
disagree) to 8 (strongly agree). Consequently, higher numbers
represented greater levels of fandom.
The final two sections contained two scales designed to assess
psychological health. First, participants completed items from the
Emotional/Social Loneliness Inventory (ESLI; Vincenzi & Grabosky,
1987). Specifically, they completed 15 items assessing isolation. These
items are used to establish a social isolation subscale (7 items;
"deficiency in intimacy and attachments," p. 260) and an
emotional isolation subscale (8 items; "deficiency in social
integration," p. 260). The subscales have sound psychometric
properties (see Vincenzi & Grabosky, 1987). A sample item on the
social isolation subscale read, "I spend a lot of time alone."
A sample item on the emotional isolation subscale read, "There is
no one in my life that tries to understand me." Response options
were 1 (rarely true), 2 (sometimes true), 3 (often true), and 4 (usually
true). Thus, higher numbers represented greater levels of social and
emotional loneliness. Second, participants completed the five-item
Satisfaction with Social Life Scale (SSLS; Wann & Pierce, 2005).
This reliable and valid Likert-scale was based on the Satisfaction with
Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). A sample item
on the SSLS read, "In most ways my social life is close to my
ideal." Response options ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7
(strongly agree). Thus, higher numbers represented greater levels of
satisfaction with one's social life.
After completing the questionnaire packet (approximately 15-20
minutes), participants were debriefed and excused from the testing
session.
Target Football Team
The target high school football team had been extremely successful
in recent seasons, compiling an overall record of 42 wins and only 7
losses during the previous four seasons. The team qualified for the
state playoffs in each of those years. Testing occurred during the last
week of October prior to the start of the state playoffs. The team had a
record of 7 wins and 2 losses at the time of testing.
Results
Preliminary Analyses
Items on the SSIS, SFQ, ESLI social isolation subscale, ESLI
emotional isolation subscale, and SSLS were summed to form indices for
each scale. Means, standard deviations, and Cronbach's alphas for
the measures are listed in Table 1. Gender differences were examined for
each measure using a series of one-way ANOVAs. These analyses failed to
reveal any significant differences for identification, fandom, social or
emotional isolation, or social life satisfaction (all ps > .05).
Similarly, a series of one-way ANOVAs utilizing year in school and
whether or not the participant played in the marching band failed to
reveal any significant differences on the scales (all ps > .05).
Thus, all subsequent analyses were collapsed across gender, year in
school, and membership in the band. However, a series of ANOVAs
examining participation on the football team revealed significant
differences for team identification [F(1, 84) = 18.11, p < .001],
sport fandom [F(1, 84) = 33.11, p < .001], social isolation, [F(1,
84) = 6.01, p < .05], and social life satisfaction [F(1, 84) = 4.12,
p < .05]. Specifically, participants who played football reported
higher levels of identification with the football team (M = 55.18; SD =
2.30), higher levels of fandom (M = 36.71; SD = 6.49), lower levels of
loneliness (M = 21.00; SD = 5.09), and higher levels of satisfaction
with their social life (M = 29.65; SD = 5.36) than persons who were not
on the team (identification M = 37.80; SD = 15.76; fandom M = 21.03; SD
= 10.73; loneliness M = 24.90; SD = 6.66; satisfaction M= 25.91; SD =
7.09). There was no difference in emotional isolation as a function of
whether or not the participant was a member of the football team (p >
.10). Because those on the football team differed from those not on the
team on the majority of measures, membership on the football team was
incorporated into the analyses described below.
Tests of Hypotheses
To test the hypothesis that team identification would predict
social well-being, but fandom would not (i.e., lower levels of social
isolation and higher levels of social life satisfaction), three
simultaneous regressions were computed in which team identification,
sport fandom, and membership on the football team (coded as 1 = plays on
team and 2 = does not play on team) were employed as predictor variables
and social life satisfaction (Regression 1), social isolation
(Regression 2), and emotional isolation (Regression 3) were the
dependent variables. Correlations among the variables appear in Table 2.
The first regression targeted participants' satisfaction with their
social life. This analysis revealed that the combined effect of the
three predictor variables was significant, F(3, 82) = 3.56, p < .02
(R = 0.340; [R.sup.2] = 0.115; adjusted [R.sup.2] = 0.083). With respect
to independent contributions, as hypothesized (Hypothesis 1) team
identification with a winning team accounted for a significant
proportion of unique variance in satisfaction with one's social
life (t = 2.07, p < .05; B = 0.116; SE B = 0.056; Beta = 0.262). Also
as predicted (Hypothesis 2), sport fandom did not account for a
significant proportion of unique variance (t = 0.42, p > .60; B =
0.034; SE B = 0.079; Beta = 0.057). Membership on the football team was
also not significant (t = -0.61, p > .50; B = -1.305; SE B = 2.154;
Beta = -0.076).
The second and third regressions focused on reports of isolation.
First, we examined social isolation. The combined effect of the three
predictor variables was significant, F(3, 82) = 4.06, p < .02 (R =
0.360; [R.sup.2] = 0.129; adjusted [R.sup.2] = 0.097). With respect to
independent contributions, as hypothesized (Hypothesis 1) team
identification with a winning team accounted for a significant
proportion of unique variance in social isolation (t = -2.17, p <
.05; B = -0.065; SE B = 0.030; Beta = -0.273). Also as predicted
(Hypothesis 2), sport fandom did not account for a significant
proportion of unique variance (r = -0.06, p > .90; B = -0.002; SE 6 =
0.042; Beta = -0.008). Membership on the football team also was not
significant (t = 1.13, p > .20; B = 1.282; SE B = 1.138; Beta =
0.139).
Next, we examined emotional isolation. The combined effect of the
three predictor variables was not significant, F(3, 82) = 1.64, p <
.15 (R = 0.238; [R.sup.2] = 0.056; adjusted [R.sup.2] = 0.022). With
respect to independent contributions, as hypothesized (Hypothesis 3)
team identification with a winning team failed to account for a
significant proportion of unique variance in emotional isolation (t =
-1.29, p < .15; B = -0.041; SE B = 0.032; Beta = -0.169). Also as
predicted (Hypothesis 2), sport fandom did not account for a significant
proportion of unique variance (t = -0.36, p > .70; B = -0.016; SE B =
0.045; Beta = -0.050). Membership on the football team was also not
significant (t = 0.48, p > .60; B = 0.593; SE B = 1.224; Beta =
0.062).
Discussion
Over the past two decades, a number of studies have highlighted the
positive relationship between level of identification with a local sport
team and various measures of social psychological health, including
social self-esteem, social integration, loneliness and extroversion
(Aden & Titsworth, 2012; Warm, Dimmock, et al., 2003; Warm et ah,
2004; Wann & Weaver, 2009). Although the findings in this line of
research have been quite robust, a limitation of past work was that it
had focused almost entirely on college and young adult age samples (and,
to a much smaller extent, the elderly). Consequently, there was a need
to determine if similar patterns would emerge among an adolescent
sample. The current research was designed to fill this research void.
Using the Team Identification--Social Psychological Health Model
(Wann, 2006b) to guide predictions, a series of hypotheses were
generated and tested among a sample comprised of high school students
attending a high school (grades 9-12) in the mid-south. Hypothesis 1
predicted that team identification would account for a significant
proportion of unique variance in social well-being. This hypothesis was
supported as team identification with a winning team predicted
satisfaction with one's social life and social isolation (higher
levels of identification corresponded with higher levels of social life
satisfaction and lower levels of social isolation). Hypothesis 2
predicted that mere sport fandom would not account for a significant
proportion of unique variance in well-being. As expected, sport fandom
was not significantly predictive of satisfaction with social life,
social isolation, or emotional isolation. And third, Hypothesis 3
predicted that team identification would fail to account for a
significant proportion of unique variance for an assessment of personal
well-being.
The results substantiated this prediction as well; identification
was not related to emotional isolation. Each of these patterns of
effects supports the propositions of the TI-SPHM. Thus, the current
findings indicate that the model is applicable to fans from a wide
variety of age groups, including adolescents. Further, the findings
replicate other recent work (Reding et al., 2011) indicating that the
model is applicable to high school teams.
As noted above, the target team had experienced a great deal of
recent success, having won over 80% of its games during the most recent
five season span. Wann (2006b) notes that identification with a sport
team can positively influence fans' well-being via two routes.
First, persons can choose to identify with successful teams and
bask-in-the-reflected-glory (BIRG) of the team's successes
(Cialdini et al., 1976; Dalakas, Madrigal, & Anderson, 2004). By
increasing their association with a successful team, and thus
internalizing the team's successes, fans can enhance their own
self-concept. Although this first route is performance-dependent (a fan
can't BIRG if a team does not perform well), the second route is
not reliant on team success. This route, which is the focus of the
current investigation and the foundation for the TI-SPHM, involves fans
gaining connections to others via their identification with a team. Fans
can achieve these connections regardless of team performance. In fact,
some teams have incredibly loyal, cohesive, and large fan bases in spite
of a long history of failure (e.g., the Chicago Cubs Major League
Baseball team). The fact that the high school team targeted in the
current investigation had been successful is not a requirement for the
results described in this work and similar results should be found with
unsuccessful teams. However, because this was the first study to examine
adolescent fans, generalizing the current research to fans of losing
teams is not yet warranted. Rather, future researchers should replicate
the current study with adolescent fans of poorly performing high school
teams to test the generalizability of the findings reported here.
Members of the football team reported more positive levels of both
indices of social psychological health, relative to those not on the
team. However, when included in a regression model that incorporated
team identification, it was identification with a winning team rather
than membership on the team that accounted for a significant proportion
of unique variance in well-being. This suggests that it was not simply
being on the team that was key, but rather, the level of psychological
connection one felt with the team. Given the importance of social
capital and connections to others in Warm's (2006b) model, such a
finding seems reasonable. That is, although the football team's
roster contained a total of approximately 65 players, the student body
as a whole was in excess of 500 persons. By identifying with the winning
team (regardless of membership on the team) students gained access to a
larger potential body of social connections (e.g., other students,
faculty, and staff at the school, members of the local community).
Furthermore, it is likely that a few members of the team actually felt
little psychological connection to the team (for instance, perhaps they
were participating simply out of pressure from their parents). By being
a member of the team but not feeling vested in it (and thus lacking
identification and the corresponding social connections), one would not
expect to receive the well-being benefits.
Although the current investigation was a successful initial step in
supporting the TI-SPHM among younger fans, there are still several
components of the model that are in need of future research among
adolescents. That is, although we did find the hypothesized positive
relationship between identification with a winning team and social
well-being (and failed to find a relationship between mere fandom and
well-being), this pattern of effects is only part of the overall model.
For instance, Wann's (2006b) framework predicts that team
identification will be positively related to social connections, which
will serve as the driving force behind the identification--well-being
relationship. Although the positive correlation between identification
and social capital has been established with adult fans (Clopton, 2008a,
2008b; Nicholson & Hoye, 2008; Palmer & Thompson, 2007), this
relationship has yet to be documented among younger fans. Likewise,
although a number of studies have documented the methods used by highly
identified fans to cope with threats to their identity as a die-hard fan
of a specific team (e.g., poor player performance, poor behaviors
exhibited by players on the team, see Wann, 2006b for a review),
research has yet to examine the impact of team-related identity threats
and methods of coping among adolescent sport fans. It may well be that
these processes are somewhat different for younger fans, relative to
adult fans who have followed teams for longer periods of times
(sometimes decades longer).
For instance, although many highly identified fans cope via
superstitious behaviors (Wann et al., 2013; Wilson, Grieve, Ostrowski,
Mienaltowski, & Cyr, 2013), they may be less prominent among younger
fans given that these behaviors take time to learn and develop. Rather,
strategies such as blasting the outgroup (Branscombe & Wann, 1994)
and similarly hostile responses may be more common, given the high level
of emotional intensity often associated with adolescence (Arnett, 1999).
And finally, as noted above, given that the high school team targeted in
the current study had been extremely successful in recent seasons,
additional research is required to determine if the current work extends
to identification with less successful teams as well.
The results detailed in this work likely have practical
implications as well. Mental well-being (and in particular, self-esteem)
has been a hot topic within the social sciences in recent years, and
many authors have written about the potential benefits of positive
self-worth (Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, & Vohs, 2003; Branden,
1994). As it relates to sport and adolescents, it has been argued that a
positive consequence of participation in youth sport is increased
self-esteem. Although there are likely limits to the effect (Coakley,
2001), numerous studies have found that participation in sport can
enhance the self-esteem, including the self-images of adolescent boys
and girls (e.g., Kamal, Blais, Kelly, & Ekstrand, 1995; Taylor &
Turek, 2010; Wann, 1997). Consequently, school officials have often been
encouraged to increase the sport participation among their students.
Given the data presented above, it seems that the officials may also
want to consider strongly encouraging the student body to become
involved as fans as well as players. Not all children possess the
requisite skill or desire to participate in sport. Further, roster
limitations necessitate that some students with a desire to participate
are not allowed. However, almost all teens should be able to follow
their high school teams closely, even if they are not able to
participation on them. As they become more identified with the local
teams, their social capital should increase, resulting in a boost to
social psychological health.
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Team Identification--Social Psychological Health Model: Sport fans
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417-429.
Daniel L. Wann, Matthew Brasher, Danielle L. Thomas and Holly L.
Scheuchner
Murray State University
Address correspondence to: Daniel L. Wann, Department of
Psychology, Murray State University, Murray, KY 42071 or to
dwann@murraystate.edu via Internet.
Table 1
Means, Standard Deviations, and Cronbach's Reliability Alphas for
all Measures
Measure M SD alpha
Team Identification (SSIS) 40.99 15.53 .949
Sport Fandom (SFQ) 24.09 11.97 .945
Satisfaction with Social Life 26.61 6.86 .863
(SSLS)
Social Isolation (ESLI 10.82 3.65 .762
subscale)
Emotional Isolation 13.28 3.76 .669
(ESLI subscale)
Table 2
Pearson Correlations among Team Identification, Sport Fandom,
Emotional Loneliness, Social Loneliness, Satisfaction with Social
Life, and Membership on the Football Team
1 2 3 4 5 6
Team --
Identification (1)
Sport Fandom (2) .56 *** --
Satisfaction with .33 ** .25 * --
Social Life (3)
Social Isolation -.33 ** -.22 * -.26 * --
(4)
Emotional -.22 * -.17 -31 ** --
Isolation (5)
Member of Football -.42 *** -.53 *** -.22 * -.26 * .16 --
Team (6) (1)
Notes: (1) Member of football team coded as 1 = yes, 2 = no. * = p <
.05; ** p < .01; *** = p < .001.