The effects of prior affect and sensory stimuli on motorsport spectators’ in-the-moment experiences

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide meaningful information to sport organizations that have just recently started hosting sporting events in a new market and want to build long-term relationships with that market’s consumers. Design/methodology/approach Using self-administered questionnaires, the study surveys 463 spectators who attended the 2012 Formula One Korean Grand Prix. Findings Prior affect and existing sensory cues are crucial for spectators’ consumption behavior. Spectators’ prior event attendance plays a significant role on perceiving sensory stimuli as well as on consequent outcomes. This study also finds arousal significantly affected by seeing and hearing and prior affect. Arousal mediates the effects of these sensory stimuli and prior affect on satisfaction and revisit intention. Originality/value This study expands the knowledge on spectators’ experience at live sporting events. In addition, more dimensions of the mechanisms that are at work between cognitive elements and sensory stimuli are added to the existing knowledge of sport spectators’ behavior.

The effect of event experience quality on the satisfaction and behavioral intentions of motocross World Championship spectators

“…In the research of Park et al (2019), in which they examined the relationships between the brand value of the sportsman, spectator satisfaction and BI, it was concluded that the overall satisfaction level with sports events has a direct impact on re-purchasing behavior and word-of-mouth. A similar relationship was also tested in a study conducted with motorsports spectators: Chung et al (2016) tested the impact of previous experiences and emotional stimuli on the satisfaction and re-attendance of spectators who attended the Formula One Korean Grand Prix for the first time or had attended previously. In their model, it was found that satisfaction has a direct and positive impact on whether they would re-visit.…”

Satisfaction in sports: a meta-analytic study

“…being excited or calm – of an individual to a stimulus (Russell et al , 1989). Sports research has identified this excitement as an antecedent of satisfaction (Chung et al , 2016). Our meta-analysis corroborated these findings, as the relationship found in eight effect sizes was positive ( r = 0.50 ), significant ( p < 0.05 ) and consistent (FSN Rosenthal = 2401; FSN Orwin = 84).…”

“…So, the results pointed out that various background characteristics related to the physical environment, contribute to a customer's overall feeling in the stadium (Yoshida and James, 2010). The visual stimulus concerns visual elements related to the environment such as colors, lighting, special features, and layout and design (Chung et al , 2016). The results indicated a positive and significant relationship ( r = 0.20 ; p < 0.001; FSN Rosenthal = 843; FSN Orwin = 46).…”

“…In the context of spectator sports, the path toward an understanding of this construct is highly similar. This similarity is evidenced by several studies that seek to understand the factors responsible for the formation of satisfaction (Chung et al , 2016). In this way, spectator satisfaction has been studied in baseball (Lee et al , 2012), basketball (Chen et al , 2013), in golf (Lee et al , 2011) and soccer (Greenwell et al , 2013).…”

Transmission of family identity and consumer response: do consumers recognize family firms?

“…visual attention) to generate sensory responses is critical (Artacho et al, 2020;Ebrahim et al, 2016;Kastenholz et al, 2020). These sensory responses express an individual's cognitive connection with a message (Chung et al, 2016;Hagtvedt, 2020;Lee et al, 2018). According to Zanon et al (2019), family businesses show visual cues, such as family names and images, to communicate their family identity through multiple communicational channels; the firm's website is one of them.…”