A Social Identity Approach to Sport Psychology: Principles, Practice, and Prospects.

Drawing on social identity theory and self-categorization theory, we outline an approach to sport psychology that understands groups not simply as features of sporting contexts but rather as elements that can be, and often are, incorporated into a person's sense of self and, through this, become powerful determinants of their sport-related behavior. The underpinnings of this social identity approach are outlined, and four key lessons for sport that are indicative of the analytical and practical power of the approach are presented. These suggest that social identity is the basis for sports group (1) behavior, (2) formation and development, (3) support and stress appraisal, and (4) leadership. Building on recent developments within sport science, we outline an agenda for future research by identifying a range of topics to which the social identity approach could fruitfully contribute

Place Matters: Rivalry, Rival Perceptions, and the Influence of Exposure and Proximity

This chapter uses two studies to illustrate the use of the Sport Rivalry Fan Perception Scale (SRFPS) by investigating differences in rival perceptions based on exposure and relative proximity to the out-group. Specifically, Study 1 examined how having visited the city where the rival team plays outside of sport consumption influenced perceptions of the rival team, and Study 2 compared how college students at the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and the University of Wyoming viewed their rival schools. Results showed that both out-group exposure and relative proximity influenced participant rival perceptions. Taken together, the studies added further support for using the SRFPS and added to the literature on rivalry and group behavior. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed

Consumer Reactions to Rival Failure: Examining Glory Out of Reflected Failure

This chapter focuses on the Glory Out of Reflected Failure (GORFing) phenomenon and its relationships regarding team identification, rival perceptions, and favorite team behavior intentions. A sample of 555 sport fans provides responses regarding their team identification, the perceptions of rival teams, their likelihood to experience GORFing, and behavioral intentions toward the favorite team when their rival loses to a third, neutral team. Structural model results showed that rival perceptions are associated with the likelihood of experiencing GORFing, which in turn was associated with behavioral intentions following a rival team’s loss to a comparable team, and mediated the relationship between rival perceptions and behavioral intentions. Contributions and implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed, and avenues for future study are introduced