Jinx, Control, and the Necessity of Adjustment: Superstitions Among Football Fans

Abstract

Superstitions are behaviors human beings use to gain a sense of control over certain events in their lives. Thus, sport and its inherent uncertainty provide fertile ground for superstitious behavior. Research on this subject has focused mainly on athletes while examining the behavioral expressions, motivations, and characteristics of fans’ superstitions that have remained marginal; therefore, the present paper aims to address this lacuna by analyzing these behaviors as part of sports fandom and fans’ daily routines. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 24 Israeli football fans of local teams. Key findings illustrate two themes: time dependent acts of superstition; and place. It is argued that superstitious behavior serves fans in two ways. First, making them feel their actions influence the match outcomes and helping their favorite team beyond simply cheering in the stands. Second, reducing the level of uncertainty and subsequent stress level characteristic of being a sports fan. Furthermore, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic when fans’ access to stadiums was restricted, the results show that the fans’ absence from the stadiums led to a reduction in the quantity and frequency of their superstitious behaviors, pointing to the significance of sporting venues in fan behavior.

The myth of regaining control: Ostracism increases superstitious tendencies

“…In particular, the sources of control deprivation within the previous studies examining superstitious environments (e.g. sports fans predicting match results; Levental et al, 2021) are highly ambiguous and perceived control is thwarted in anticipation of the event outcomes, providing a clear opportunity to rely on superstitions in explaining potential outcomes. However, in the present research, the source of control deprivation (i.e.…”

“…This trend has been observed across various domains because many people use superstitions to gain control over unpredictable results. Sports fans indicate that their superstitious beliefs empower them to influence the match outcome beyond just cheering at the stands (Levental et al, 2021). College students are also more likely to use charms or rituals when stressful scenarios decrease their perceived expertise or when they face difficult tasks (Mundada, 2013; Rudski & Edwards, 2007).…”

“…Other studies that focus on events more typical of everyday life (e.g. sport events or college life) may have also neglected the roles that others could play in provoking superstitious beliefs, focusing instead on superstitions in anticipation of event outcomes (Levental et al, 2021; Rudski & Edwards, 2007). It remains unclear whether people may have higher superstitious tendencies following common, ubiquitous interpersonal experiences that reduce perceived control (Gerber & Wheeler, 2009) and increase the perceived threat of other ambiguous situations (Zadro et al, 2006).…”

“…Moreover, most of the previous studies adopted either qualitative (e.g. interviews; Fiori et al, 2004; Levental et al, 2021) or correlational (e.g. surveys; Rudski & Edwards, 2007; Sagone & De Caroli, 2014) methods.…”

Mga pamahiin sa isang S and T na komunidad: Sipat-siyasat sa karanasan ng mga mag-aaral sa isang science high school

“…Dahil dito, nalilimitahan ang maaaring gawin ng mga tao sa kapupuna kung tama o mali ba ang ginagawa nila upang maiayon sa mga pamahiing pinaniniwalaan o kailangang sundin. Ayon din kay Levental et al (2021), ang mga pamahiin ay naglalayong makapagbigay ng kahit na anong katiyakan ukol sa hinaharap.…”