The psychology of sports fans, with Daniel Wann, PhD

Speaking of Psychology

Kim Mills

Health & Fitness, Life Sciences, Science, Mental Health

4.3 • 781 Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2024

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Are you a sports “superfan”? Or do you wonder what’s driving the superfans in your life? Daniel Wann, PhD, of Murray State University, talks about why being a fan is usually good for people’s mental health, how they choose the teams they root for, why some are fair-weather fans while others love to cheer for the underdog, how fandom is changing among younger people, and whether a crowd of supportive fans can affect the outcome of a game. For transcripts, links and more information, please visit the Speaking of Psychology Homepage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:27.4	This year, more than 120 million Americans watched the Super Bowl on television, the biggest
0:33.8	single network telecast audience in history. Okay, some of those viewers might have tuned in to see Taylor Swift,
0:41.1	but a lot of them were there for the football.
0:43.7	Almost 40% of Americans say that they follow sports somewhat or very closely,
0:49.1	according to a 2023 Pew Research Center poll.
0:53.1	And about 7% of them are super fans who follow sports extremely
0:57.7	closely and talk about sports every day. You might know some of those super fans, or maybe
1:03.5	you're one yourself. So whether it's college sports, the NFL, the WNBA, or Major League
1:10.4	Baseball.
1:11.6	What drives sports fans to become so passionately attached to their teams?
1:15.6	Is being a fan good for your mental health?
1:18.6	Even when your team is losing?
1:20.6	Why are some people fair weather fans while others love to root for the underdog?
1:25.6	What about aggression among sports fans?
1:28.9	Why do some fans behave badly?
	...

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