Superstition and Perceived Athlete Performance

Abstract

Every year millions of sports fans watch their favorite athletes compete. Those athletes put forth their best performance in the hope of winning, and fans show their support in the hopes they do. Whether on the field or in the stands, tension can be high. For this reason, athletes have developed rituals, ways of coping with the immense pressure of performance and success. The present study analyzed athlete\u27s rituals through a lens of superstition. Athletes at the Division III level were surveyed and interviewed to see why they perform the rituals they do. Our hypotheses are that those rituals will be perceived as alleviating stress and anxiety, that rituals will be perceived by athletes as improving performance, and that the specific form of ritual will have deep meaning to them as individuals and as a team. Overall, our hypotheses were supported. Division III athletes reported partaking in ritual behavior. Analysis indicated a statistically significant difference in their perceived performance with and without their rituals. Rituals were meaningful to athletes, though rituals\u27 meaning was different depending on the team