What behavioral science can tell us about human behavior during the World Cup

As the world gathers to watch the thirty-two teams playing in the 2022 World Cup, you may wonder why sports fans behave a certain way—a way that they would not behave if it weren’t for these teams playing in the biggest international football tournament in the world. 

Social Connectedness: Jumping on the Bandwagon

Much of our motivation for following the World Cup can be attributed to our need for belonging. We want to be able to chime into heated discussions about game strategy or simply enjoy sharing the experience with your friends and family.  Research has shown that this sense of sharing has a positive psychological impact on ourselves. In fact, hundreds of undergraduate fans with higher identification with a team is associated with higher levels of self-esteem and positive emotion. Higher identification also acts as a buffer against alienation, loneliness, depression, and other negative emotions (Wann, 2006). When we see someone wearing the same jersey, we instantly feel connected to them. This sense of a shared identity can aid in communication or increase the feeling among us fans that we have shared values.

In-group Bias: Either you’re with us or you’re against us

Why do we feel that we can trust someone more when they are wearing the same sports jersey as us? Why do we feel that we can’t trust someone in a different jersey? Research has shown that we tend to give preferential treatment to those who belong to the same group as us. In one study, researchers surveyed fans from both teams as they were leaving a sporting event and asked them to assess how much they agreed that their team’s fans has showed good behavior and sportsmanship. When asked to evaluate the opposing team’s fans, they found that fans were more likely to say that the opposing team’s fans displayed worse behavior than their own team’s fans (Wann & Grieve, 2005). We all want to feel positive about ourselves, about the groups we belong to, even if there is no basis to favor one person over another.

Deindividuation: “Irresponsible” Fan Behavior

In some countries, you may see sports fan flip cars, breaking windows, and starting fire in the streets. What makes people think this behavior is remotely acceptable enough to participate? Deindividuation occurs when people’s own sense of individuality and self-awareness is diminished, and can potentially result in a diminished sense of self-responsibility (Diener et al. 1976). This is when you blend into a crowd and become anonymous, something that’s likely to happen if we’re all wearing the same football jersey or have our faces painted. Deindividuation may lead us likely to act in a manner appropriate to the norms of the group rather than our own personal norms. Among football fans, those norms may involve rowdy behavior.

So, whether or not you’re following the World Cup this time around, we challenge you to reflect on your current or past behavior as it relates to sports through the lens of behavioral science. And if you want to learn more about how behavioral science can explain different aspects of human behavior, don’t hesitate to reach out to namika@sagaraconsulting.com!