Sport and perspective taking

The current investigation was designed to examine the relationship between level of fan dysfunction and perspective taking. Fan dysfunction refers to the extent to which a fan has the tendency to complain and be confrontational within the sporting environment (Wakefield & Wann, 2006). For instance, dysfunctional fans often go out of their way to cause a scene within the sport settings (e.g., attend away games to confront opposing fans; complain about the service quality of the venue; yell aggressively about a poor call). Research on perspective taking has linked high perspective taking (i.e., the ability to take on viewpoints of others) with enhanced social functioning and lower social dysfunction (Davis, 1983). For example, Davis (1980) found that high perspective taking was associated with a greater amount of selfless thinking regarding the feelings and reactions of others. Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire packet assessing level of team identification, dysfunctional fandom, and perspective taking. It is hypothesized that levels of fan dysfunction and perspective taking ability will be negatively correlated. Thus, our prediction is that individuals who score higher on fan dysfunction will score lower on perspective taking ability. The logic here is that, because high perspective taking ability is positively associated with social functioning, and fan dysfunction is positively associated with dysfunctional behaviors, perspective taking and fan dysfunction should have a negative relationship. Results of this study will strengthen the understanding of dysfunctional sport fandom and provide further insight on the variables associated with perspective taking ability