Deviance in the Sport of Soccer: The Relationship Between Wearing Brightly Colored Cleats and Aggression

Two studies examined the effects of deviance in the sport of soccer, specifically how players who wear brightly colored cleats are perceived by others, whether or not they act more aggressively, and whether or not other players act more aggressively toward them. In the first study, research was conducted using collegiate soccer players recruited from the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The participants filled out an online survey asking a wide range of questions about aggression and sports. Analysis of the data suggests that a relationship exists between players who wear brightly colored cleats and aggression levels. Not only do a percentage of collegiate athletes act more aggressively toward players who wear brightly colored cleats, an even greater proportion of players have a negative attitude toward the deviants. In the second study, research was conducted using a group of students from the Social Sciences’ and Honor’s departments at Olivet Nazarene University. The participants were asked to fill out a survey asking a wide range of questions about aggression and sports. In addition, they participated in a short experiment in which they were presented with different color combinations of soccer uniforms and asked to give a snap judgment of good or bad, and later of passive or aggressive. As was found in the collegiate athlete study, a negative attitude toward players who brightly colored cleats is present among the general population