1
Düzce Üniversitesi, Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi, Düzce, Türkiye
2
Trakya University, Faculty of Kırkpınar Sport Sciences, Edirne, Turkiye
3
Düzce Üniversitesi, Institute of Postgraduate Education, Düzce, Turkiye
Abstract
This study aims to examine the relationship between football fans’ passion for the sport and their levels of fanaticism. The participants consisted of 414 fans, including 90 women and 324 men. The study employed the “Football Fanaticism Scale” a 13-item Likert-type scale with all positive statements, and the “Passion Scale” which has been adapted into Turkish for athletes. The results of the Passion Scale revealed significant differences based on marital status, age, and family income. In the Fanaticism Scale, significant differences were found in subdimensions based on marital status, frequency of watching football, gender, and education level. Additionally, a weak to moderate positive correlation was observed between the two scales. A statistically significant but weak relationship was found between passion and tendencies towards violent thoughts and behaviors. However, no statistically significant relationship was found between passion and institutional loyalty. A significant and moderate positive relationship was observed between tendencies towards violent thoughts and behaviors and institutional loyalty. These results suggest that an increase in passion for sport may also increase tendencies towards violent thoughts and behaviors, but it does not lead to a notable increase in institutional loyalty. Furthermore, the results obtained provide significant insights for understanding fan psychology and sports management, offering a new perspective on the effects of sports passion at both individual and societal levels. The research opens the door to intriguing questions about the nature of passion in the sports world and lays a valuable foundation for future studies.
Keywords
Fanaticism, football, passion
How to Cite
Sadik, R., Celebi, M., & Taskin, G. (2024). Examining the relationship between football fans’ understanding of passion in sports and their levels of fanaticism. Journal of ROL Sport Sciences, 5(4), 629–649. https://doi.org/10.70736/jrolss.445
📄Açak, M., Düz, S., Karataş, Ö., Karademir, T., Kurak, K., & Bayer, R. (2018). Examination of fanaticism levels among supporters in the Turkish Football Federation 1st League. Journal of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, 20(3), 8-23.
📄Anderson, C. A., & Dill, K. E. (2000). Video games and aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behavior in the laboratory and in life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 772–790. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.4.772
📄Atasoy, M. (2019). Examination of the attitudes of Adanaspor’s and Adana Demirspor’s supporters relevant to fanaticism. Journal of Education and Learning, 8(1), 158-163.
📄Bahçe, A., & Turan, M. B. (2022). Üniversite öğrencilerinin fanatizm düzeyleri ile marka tercihleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. Akdeniz Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 5(3), 449-473.
📄Bayköse, N., Turan, E. B., Turan, E., & Şahan, H. (2019). The impact of passion and life satisfaction of Muay Thai coaches on burnout levels. Akdeniz Journal of Sport Sciences, 2(1), 58-66.
📄Boyle, R. (2009). Power play: sport, the media and popular culture. Edinburgh University Press.
📄Ceyhun, S., Yılmaz, S. H., Dokuzoğlu, G., & Karacan Doğan, P. (2023). Examination of the relationship between passion in sports and mental resilience levels among sports science students. Sportive Perspective: Journal of Sports and Education Sciences, 10(3), 345-359 https://doi.org/10.33468/sbsebd.357
📄Çakmak, G., Başaran, Z., & Karatut, A. (2022). Examination of football fans’ psychological attachment, fanaticism, and happiness levels towards their team. Sportve View: Journal of Sport and Educational Sciences, 9(1), 95-110.
📄Çakıroğlu, B. (2022). Examination of the relationship between football fans’ feelings of fanaticism and cyberbullying behaviors (Master’s Thesis, Istanbul Gelişim University).
📄Çebi, M., Uzun, R. N., Eliöz, M., & İmamoğlu, O. (2019). Investigation of passion levels in tennis players (Conference Presentation). 2nd International Sports and Wellness Congress for Everyone, Antalya, Turkey.
📄Curran, T., Appleton, P. R., Hill, A. P., & Hall, H. K. (2011). Passion and burnout in elite junior soccer players: The mediating role of self-determined motivation. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 12(6), 655-661.
📄Dimmock, J. A., Grove, J. R., & Eklund, R. C. (2005). Reconceptualizing team identification: New dimensions and their relationships to intergroup bias. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 1(1), 2-19.
📄Doğaner, S., Erdeveciler, Ö., Balcı, V., Uyar, Y., Bagis, T. Ö., & Ercan, M. (2021). Determining the fanaticism levels of football fans. Spirometry Journal of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, 19(4), 257-269. https://doi.org/10.33689/spormetre.1000343
📄Durgutluoğlu, M. (2020). Examining the relationship between football fans’ fanaticism levels and psychological commitment. (Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Selçuk University).
📄Eime, R. M., Harvey, J. T., Sawyer, N. A., Craike, M. J., Symons, C. M., Polman, R. C., … et al. (2013). Understanding the contexts of adolescent female participation in sport and physical activity. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 84(2), 157-166.
📄Fowler, F. J. (2014). Survey research methods. 5. Baskı. SAGE Publications.
📄Funk, D. C., & James, J. D. (2001). The psychological continuum model: A conceptual framework for understanding an individual’s psychological connection to sport. Sport Management Review, 4(2), 119-150.
📄Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self‐determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331-362.
📄George, D., & Mallery, P. (2010). SPSS for windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. Pearson Education.
📄Giulianotti, R. (2002). Supporters, followers, fans, and flaneurs: a taxonomy of spectator identities in football. Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 26(1), 25-46.
📄Guttmann, A. (1986). Sports spectators. New York: Columbia University Press.
📄Hognestad, H., & Tollisen, A. (2004). Playing against the hooligans: local football clubs, and the problem of hooliganism in Norway. Soccer & Society, 5(3), 310-324.
📄Inoue, Y., Funk, D. C., & McDonald, H. (2017). Predicting behavioral loyalty through corporate social responsibility: The mediating role of involvement and commitment. Journal of Business Research, 75, 46-56.
📄Karasar, N. (2011). Scientific research methods. Ankara: Nobel Publications.
📄Kelecek, S., & Aşçı, F. H. (2013). Validity and reliability study of the “passion scale” for university athletes. Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Sports Sciences, 5(2), 80-85.
📄Kelecek, S., Altıntaş, A., Kara, FM., & Aşçı, F. H. (2015). The role of passion in determining the job and life satisfaction of fitness leaders: The example of Ankara province. Hacettepe Journal of Sports Sciences, 26 (1), 9–17.
📄Kerr, J. H., & Males, J. R. (2010). The experience of losing: qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3(1), 77-90.
📄Koc, M. C., Talaghir, L. G., Pekel, A., Cetin, A., & Stoica, L. (2024). My sweetheart has a basketball match: The relationship between love-hate and identification of individuals attending a EuroLeague match for recreational purposes. PloS one, 19(7), e0307892.
📄Koçer, M. (2012) Determining the violence and hooliganism tendencies of fans who are members of football associations: Kayseri Example. Erciyes University Social Sciences Institute Journal, 1(32), 111-135.
📄Kurak, K. (2020). Examination of football fanaticism levels of high school students. GERMENICA Journal of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, 1(1), 28-36.
📄Kural, S. (2017) Views of football super league team fans on fanaticism and violence in sports (Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Ankara University).
📄Madan, M., & Karagözoğlu, C. (2019). Examining the relationship between passion, perfectionism and well-being in football coaches. Journal of Health and Sports Sciences, 2(3), 88-98.
📄Mageau, G.A., Vallerand, R.J., Charest, J., Salvy, S. J., Lacaille, N., Bouffard, T., … et al. (2009). On the development of harmonious and obsessive passion: The role of autonomy support, activity specialization, and identification with the activity. Journal of Personality, 77(3), 601-646
📄Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human Resource Management Review, 1(1), 61-89.
📄Meyers, L. S., Gamst, G., & Guarino, A. J. (2016). Applied multivariate research: Design and interpretation. Sage publications.
📄Özdayı, N., Kilci, A. K., Temiz, C. N., & Emiroğlu, D. (2021). The passion scale in sports (pss): adaptation to Turkish, validity and reliability study. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 18(Educational Sciences Special Issue), 4983-5003.
📄Sigmundsson, H., Haga, M., & Hermundsdottir, F. (2020). The passion scale: aspects of reliability and validity of a new 8-item scale assessing passion. New ideas in Psychology, 56, 100745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2019.06.001.
📄Smith, A. C., & Stewart, B. (2007). The travelling fan: understanding the mechanisms of sport fan consumption in a sport tourism setting. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 12(3-4), 155-181.
📄Şahin, A. (2017). Examining the passion levels of high school students in physical education classroom environments. Kilis 7 Aralik University Journal of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, 1(2), 21-27.
📄Taherdoost, H. (2016). Sampling methods in research methodology; How to choose a sampling technique for research. International Journal of Academic Research in Management (IJARM), 5(2), 18-27.
📄Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (2003). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. Social psychology, 4, 73-98.
📄Taşktepligil, M. Y., Çankaya, S., & Tunç, T. (2015). Football fan fanaticism scale. Journal of Sport and Performance Research, 6(1), 41-49.
📄Tett, R. P., & Meyer, J. P. (1993). Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention, and turnover: path analyses based on meta‐analytic findings. Personnel Psychology, 46(2), 259-293.
📄Trail, G. T., & James, J. D. (2015). Sport consumer behavior (2nd ed.). Seattle, WA: Sport Consumer Research Consultants LLC.
📄Vallerand, R. J., Ntoumanis, N., Philippe, F. L., Lavigne, G. L., Carbonneau, N., Bonneville, A., & Lagacé-Labonté, C. (2003). On passion and sports fans: A look at soccer. Journal of Sports Sciences, 21(1), 35-47.
📄Vallerand, R. J., & Miquelon, P. (2007). Passion for sport in athletes. In R. Eklund & G. Tenenbaum (Eds.), Handbook of Sport Psychology (3rd ed., pp. 249-269). New York: Wiley.
📄Vallerand, R. J. (2008). On the psychology of passion: In search of what makes people’s lives most worth living. Canadian Psychology/ Psychologie Canadienne, 49(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1037/0708- 5591.49.1.1.
📄Vallerand, R. J. (2010). On Passion for Life Activities: The dualistic model of passion. In Advances in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 42, pp. 97-193). Academic Press.
📄Wann, D. L., & Branscombe, N. R. (1993). Sports fans: Measuring degree of identification with their team. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 24(1), 1-17.
📄Wann, D. L., Melnick, M. J., Russell, G. W., & Pease, D. G. (2001). Sports fans: The psychology and social impact of spectators. Routledge.
📄Wann, D. L. (2006). Understanding the positive social psychological benefits of sports team identification: The Team Identification-Social Psychological Health Model. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 10(4), 272-296.
📄Wenner, L. A. (1998). Sports and the Media: The Making and Breaking of the Culture of Sports. University of Pennsylvania Press.
📄Yamen, E. (1999). Comparative examination of fandom in sports according to different social groups, Sivas sample (Master’s Thesis, Cumhuriyet University).
📄Yıldırım, E. (2020). Examining the attachment styles and personality characteristics of football spectators according to whether they are fanatics, fans, or football fans (Master’s Thesis, Near East University).
📄Yilmaz, T. (2023). Football fanaticism levels of Turkish university students in terms of sports literacy and different variables. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 11(4), 318-324.
,
Muberra Celebi
2