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Passion of a distant football fan : examining passion's relationships with fan motives, team identification and fan behaviours
Author
Teo, Darrel Wei Yang
Supervisor
Leng, Ho Keat
Abstract
Though prevalent as a lay concept, little academic work has been conducted on fan passion in the context of sports (Wakefield, 2016; Schellenberg & Verner-Filion, 2021). Through distant football fans in Singapore, the primary aim of this research is to examine passion in relation to fan motives and team identification. The Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) which posits two types of passion in harmonious passion and obsessive passion is used as the focal theory. Using this theory, possible antecedents (i.e., needs) and consequences (i.e., behaviours) of passion are investigated.
As limited understanding of the distant football fan passion is available, a mixed method approach which follows an exploratory sequential design (one qualitative followed by two quantitative) was adopted (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011). The aims of the three studies are: (1) To examine passion’s and team identification’s applicability, and identify salient fan motives of the distant fan segment; (2) To determine the salient fan motives which influence team identification for the more harmoniously passionate and more obsessively passionate fans; and (3) To assess passion’s effects on self-presentation fan behaviours. In sum, Study 1 interviewed 13 Singaporean football fans while Study 2 and Study 3 e-surveyed 188 and 144 fans respectively through survey instruments which queried respondents about possible factors which affect their consumption of football.
On findings, Study 1 found that interviewees used the words “passion” and “passionate” when talking about their football fandom. It was further seen that some data collected is better suited in illustrating passion’s core elements such as enduring fondness, energy and effort, adaptive and maladaptive outcomes rather than fan motives or team identification. For fan motives, 7 latent psychological needs that distant fans look to satiate were identified. They are group affiliation, self-esteem, aesthetics, eustress, escape, learning and economic (i.e., gambling). Lastly, team identification was recognised as the main form of fan attachment and not others such as league, player or coach etc.
Study 2 examined the fan motives -> team identification relationship for the two passion types (more harmoniously passionate, n = 82; more obsessively passionate, n = 106). Not unexpectedly, it was seen that not all fan motives are important for the development of (distant) team identification. In general, the self-esteem (M = 5.97, SD = .93) and learning (M = 5.86, SD = 1.02) motives are significant predictors of all distant fans’ (including the more harmoniously passionate fans) team identification. In particular, satiating self-esteem needs was found to contribute the most variance in this relationship. Conversely, the escape (M = 4.40, SD = 1.78) and economic (M = 2.18, SD = 1.49) motives are additionally significant variables for the more obsessively passionate fans.
Study 3 was designed to focus on the self-esteem enhancement (BIRG: M = 4.90, SD = 1.51) and self-esteem protective (CORF: M = 2.06, SD = 1.52) behaviours of fans (Cialdini et al., 1976; Snyder et al., 1986). As were hypothesised, harmonious passion (M = 5.57, SD = 1.06) was found to be unrelated whereas obsessive passion (M = 4.23, SD = 1.61) was significantly related to these two forms of self-presentation behaviours. Furthermore, the indirect effects of self-esteem on the BIRG/CORF behaviours through obsessive passion was also found. That is, obsessive passion partially mediates the self-esteem -> BIRG/CORF relationships.
Taken together, a clearer image of how the dual passion constructs interrelate with fan motives and team identification towards influencing fan behaviours emerged. A better understanding of the distant football fans was also provided. In conclusion, through the findings, it appears that passion is an important constituent of one’s distant football fandom as it acts as a key variable involved in a number of relationships, processes and outcomes. This opens up possibilities of using passion as a construct of interest in future studies and in practice. For instance, salient motives for each passion group were identified and marketing practitioners can tailor relevant marketing messages to each group.
As limited understanding of the distant football fan passion is available, a mixed method approach which follows an exploratory sequential design (one qualitative followed by two quantitative) was adopted (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011). The aims of the three studies are: (1) To examine passion’s and team identification’s applicability, and identify salient fan motives of the distant fan segment; (2) To determine the salient fan motives which influence team identification for the more harmoniously passionate and more obsessively passionate fans; and (3) To assess passion’s effects on self-presentation fan behaviours. In sum, Study 1 interviewed 13 Singaporean football fans while Study 2 and Study 3 e-surveyed 188 and 144 fans respectively through survey instruments which queried respondents about possible factors which affect their consumption of football.
On findings, Study 1 found that interviewees used the words “passion” and “passionate” when talking about their football fandom. It was further seen that some data collected is better suited in illustrating passion’s core elements such as enduring fondness, energy and effort, adaptive and maladaptive outcomes rather than fan motives or team identification. For fan motives, 7 latent psychological needs that distant fans look to satiate were identified. They are group affiliation, self-esteem, aesthetics, eustress, escape, learning and economic (i.e., gambling). Lastly, team identification was recognised as the main form of fan attachment and not others such as league, player or coach etc.
Study 2 examined the fan motives -> team identification relationship for the two passion types (more harmoniously passionate, n = 82; more obsessively passionate, n = 106). Not unexpectedly, it was seen that not all fan motives are important for the development of (distant) team identification. In general, the self-esteem (M = 5.97, SD = .93) and learning (M = 5.86, SD = 1.02) motives are significant predictors of all distant fans’ (including the more harmoniously passionate fans) team identification. In particular, satiating self-esteem needs was found to contribute the most variance in this relationship. Conversely, the escape (M = 4.40, SD = 1.78) and economic (M = 2.18, SD = 1.49) motives are additionally significant variables for the more obsessively passionate fans.
Study 3 was designed to focus on the self-esteem enhancement (BIRG: M = 4.90, SD = 1.51) and self-esteem protective (CORF: M = 2.06, SD = 1.52) behaviours of fans (Cialdini et al., 1976; Snyder et al., 1986). As were hypothesised, harmonious passion (M = 5.57, SD = 1.06) was found to be unrelated whereas obsessive passion (M = 4.23, SD = 1.61) was significantly related to these two forms of self-presentation behaviours. Furthermore, the indirect effects of self-esteem on the BIRG/CORF behaviours through obsessive passion was also found. That is, obsessive passion partially mediates the self-esteem -> BIRG/CORF relationships.
Taken together, a clearer image of how the dual passion constructs interrelate with fan motives and team identification towards influencing fan behaviours emerged. A better understanding of the distant football fans was also provided. In conclusion, through the findings, it appears that passion is an important constituent of one’s distant football fandom as it acts as a key variable involved in a number of relationships, processes and outcomes. This opens up possibilities of using passion as a construct of interest in future studies and in practice. For instance, salient motives for each passion group were identified and marketing practitioners can tailor relevant marketing messages to each group.
Date Issued
2022
Call Number
GV943.9.F35 Teo
Date Submitted
2022