Uncovering hockey fans’ motivations behind their derogatory behaviors and how these motives predict psychological well-being and quality of social identity

Objective: This article tested whether hockey fans’ selfdetermined and non self-determined motivation for engaging in derogatory behaviors against an outgroup team predicted the frequency of these behaviors, fans’ psychological well-being, and the quality of their social identity as a fan of their team. The two psychological theories we employ in the current research (i.e., self-determination theory and social identity theory) have different assumptions concerning the motivation behind derogatory fan behavior. Design: Three correlational studies were conducted among hockey fans. Methods: Fans of rival hockey fans (Study 1; N 1⁄4 45), fans of the Montreal Canadiens (Study 2; N 1⁄4 181), and fans of NHL teams (Study 3; N 1⁄4 105) completed measures of selfdetermination to engage in derogatory behaviors, frequency of these behaviors, psychological well-being, and quality of social identity. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test if the frequency, well-being, and quality of social identity variables were predicted by the self-determined and non self-determined motivations to engage in derogatory behaviors. Results: As expected based on self-determination theory (SDT), the more hockey fans engage in derogatory behaviors for non self-determined reasons, the lower their well-being and the less frequently they report engaging in the derogatory behaviors. Moreover, as expected based on social identity theory (SIT), the more hockey fans engage in the derogatory behaviors for self-determined reasons, the higher their well-being, the frequency of these behaviors, and the more positive their social identity. Conclusions: Theses results are interpreted in light of SDT and SIT’s theoretical propositions. Comparisons are made with prior studies conducted on this topic. 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Sports are an engaging social context, in which strong motivational and affective processes take place. At the group level, sport teams represent important social identities that convey meaning and belongingness to their members (Branscombe & Wann, 1991; Wann, 2006). Even if ‘‘just’’ a game, players, coaches, and fans alike are affected by the sports they engage in and by the teams they identify with, and some display strong emotional reactions to their team’s wins and losses (Wann & Branscombe, 1993). In fact, sports can be seen as a microcosm of society, where strong motivational and identity processes operate (Wann, 2006). Given the competitiveness of many sports contexts, sport fans also engage in derogatory behaviors that involve downgrading and denigrating an outgroup team (Scheepers, Spears, Doosje, & Manstead, 2003, 2006).Why do sport fans engage in such derogatory and potentially harmful social behaviors? A diversity of motivational approaches have been applied to understanding sport fans behaviors (e.g., Wann, Melnick, Russell, & Pease, 2001). In the current research, we specifically apply a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective to understanding fans’ reasons for engaging in derogatory behaviors against outgroup teams. Doing so represents a key novelty of this research that also has the potential to test how SDT principles operate in competitive intergroup contexts. In this context, the more specific goals of the current studies are to investigate hockey fans’ motivations e i.e., self-determined and non self-determined e for engaging in derogatory behaviors against members of other sports teams, and test if these motivations predict fans’ well-being, the frequency at which they engage * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ1 514 987 3000x5006; fax: þ1 514 987 7953. E-mail address: [email protected] (C.E. Amiot).