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Effects of Game Outcomes and Status Instability on Spectators' Status Consumption: The Moderating Role of Implicit
Yonghwan Chang1, Daniel L Wann2
1Department of Sport Management, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|February 18, 2022
Summary
Spectators exhibit status-seeking behavior influenced by game outcomes and team identification. Decisive wins and close losses boost engagement, while decisive losses and close wins decrease it, especially with high team identification.
Area of Science:
- Consumer Behavior
- Social Psychology
- Sports Marketing
Background:
- Understanding spectator behavior is crucial for sports marketing and consumer engagement.
- The biosocial theory of status provides a framework for analyzing status-seeking behavior.
- Existing literature often overlooks the nuanced effects of game outcomes on spectator actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interplay of game outcomes, status instability, and implicit team identification on spectator status-seeking behavior.
- To examine the counterintuitive effects of wins and losses in spectator engagement.
- To apply the biosocial theory of status and the hormonal account to spectator behavior.
Main Methods:
- An online experiment with National Football League (NFL) fans.
- A 2x2x2 between-subjects design manipulating game outcome (victory/loss), status instability (decisive/close), and implicit team identification (high/low).
- Measurement of spectators' retrospective spectating experiences, future attendance intentions, and purchase intentions for luxury suites and merchandise.
Main Results:
- Decisive victories and close losses positively influenced future attendance and purchase intentions.
- Decisive losses and close victories negatively impacted these intentions.
- Higher implicit team identification amplified status-seeking behavior, even in close victories.
Conclusions:
- Game outcomes and status instability significantly affect spectator status-seeking behavior.
- Implicit team identification moderates these effects, enhancing engagement.
- Findings offer insights for sports managers to optimize resource allocation and marketing strategies.
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