Happiness Found in Fandom and Socializing
Fans of soccer, hip-hop, Glenn Beck, Lady Gaga, and knitting all share one thing in common. People who are active, enthusiastic fans experience benefits to their happiness and sociability.
Psychologists from the University of Kansas conducted a series of studies that compared the effects of fandom among sports fans with the effects on fans of music, hobbies, celebrities, or media, and found that being a fan is associated with these positive life satisfaction outcomes across the board.
Why would being a fan make you happier? The process of fandom has a number of characteristics built into it that encourage positive behaviors. Fans identify with other fans, categorizing themselves as part of a group built around a particular interest.
Plus, the fans then develop a stake in the identity of their group. (“Fans of my team are classy and good sports,” “My team’s fans never give up,” “People who like this kind of music have better taste than people who don’t,” etc.) They strive to maintain a positive image for themselves as part of the group and for the group as a whole. They form social bonds with others in the in-group, and together they reinforce for each other the positive identity they share by being part of their fan group.
Even when we don’t know other fans personally, we gain a sense of community by knowing that people with similar interests, enthusiasm, and sympathies exist. Feeling a sense of belonging in such a community enhances self-esteem.
The study also found that online fan communities contribute to the social benefits of making personal connections with other members of a fan group.
Although sports psychologists have studied sports fans rather extensively, this is the first set of studies to compare sports fans with other kinds of fans. The subjects of these studies were college-aged students, including both men and women. Further study with older groups might find changes in the value of fandom over time. Still, it seems clear that being a fan is a positive force for life satisfaction, which may have particular value for young adults.
The studies were conducted by Stephen Reysen and Nyla Branscombe of the University of Kansas, and the results were reported in this month’s issue of the Journal of Sport Behavior.