Why are sports fans so devoted to their teams? What is it about the psychology of sports fandom that leads to such visceral responses? The association principle plays an important role in sports fandom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People try to associate themselves with the achievements and victories of others. See how the psychology of sports fandom demonstrates the association principle and how it’s used for marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The association principle is a theory that stating that you like or dislike people based on what you associate them with. You like people who bring you good news, and \u201cshoot the messengers\u201d who bring us bad news.
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In the ancient Persian Empire, imperial messengers were always in a precarious position. They would be f\u00eated and celebrated by the emperor if they brought tidings of a military victory. But if they came bearing news of a defeat, they would be summarily executed.
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In a modern-day analogue, consider the plight of weather forecasters. Weather forecasters have been shown to be met with hostility, threats, and even violence when they predict bad weather. <\/strong>The association bias<\/a> is so strong that people come to believe that adverse weather events are caused <\/em>by the forecasters themselves\u2014meteorologists have been accused of causing snow, tornadoes, and hurricanes! Compliance practitioners<\/a> are adept at associating their products or brands with people or things that the public knows and likes<\/strong>, in the hopes that we\u2019ll come to like the products more by association. Presidential candidates seek the support of athletes, performing artists, and other non-political cultural figures during a campaign, even though the approval of these people has nothing to do with government or public policy. After the 1969 moon landing, all sorts of products incorporated space travel<\/a> or lunar themes into their marketing and advertising<\/a>. And every two years, we\u2019ve become used to the spectacle of brands labeling<\/a> themselves \u201c the official fast food,\u201d \u201cthe official toothpaste,\u201d or \u201cthe official soft drink\u201d of the U.S. Olympic team. The psychology of sports fandom shows the influence of athletes. Athletes are probably the most sought-after product endorsers, because marketers know that their associative persuasive appeal is deep and widespread, cutting across ethnic, regional, age, and economic demographic groups. Also, athletes are linked to many positive attributes that brands are eager to associate themselves with: youth, strength, winning, prowess, and physical attractiveness. (Shortform note: A quick look at some of the biggest endorsement deals in sports will show just how high a premium brands place on the association principle as seen in the psychology of sports fandom. NBA Star Steph Curry\u2019s contract with Under Armour is reportedly worth $285 million. Global soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s deal with Nike is estimated at around $1 billion. And NBA megastar LeBron James has a lifetime <\/em>endorsement deal with Nike that goes into ten figures. ) Not only do marketers wish to associate their products with well-known symbols of public admiration\u2014people try to associate <\/strong>themselves <\/em><\/strong>with the achievements and victories of others.<\/strong> The psychology of sports fandom illustrates this quite well. Sports are a deadly serious business for the fan. Their very sense of self hangs in the balance depending on the outcome of the game.
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nPsychology of Sports Fandom<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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