People who watch sports experience greater well-being than those who don't – and this is likely related to the social aspects of watching sports.
Being a sports fan, whether you're watching top-level soccer, the Olympics or your favorite local team, can be a real roller coaster ride.
Amazing highs if you win, depressing lows if you don't, and lots of stressful feelings in between.
Fortunately, the overall impact should be positive, as studies show that people who watch sports experience greater well-being than those who don't – and this is likely related to the social aspects of watching sports.
By well-being we understand the psychological state of a person - how well he feels. People with higher wealth tend to have better physical health and live longer than people with lower wealth.
The research, carried out at Anglia Ruskin University - led by Helen - used data from 7,209 adults aged 16-85 living in England who took part in the Taking Part Survey, commissioned by the UK Government.
They found that people in the UK who had attended a live sporting event in the past year were more satisfied with their lives, felt their lives had more value and were less lonely than people who hadn't. were present.
These findings are consistent with other studies that have found that people who watch live sports at least once a year have fewer depressive symptoms than those who don't.
Can't attend the live events? Watching sports on TV or online can also be good for your well-being.
Studies show that people who watch sports on television or on the Internet are also less depressed than those who do not, and depressive symptoms are even less likely in those who watch sports with increasing frequency.
People who watch sports are more likely to report a higher sense of life satisfaction than people who don't, regardless of whether they watch sports live, on TV, or online.
All of these findings are interrelated, meaning that we cannot be sure which factor influences the other, or whether both are influenced by another factor (for example, wealth or number of friends).
However, social identity theory and brain imaging studies tell us that watching sports could provide the primary increase in well-being, rather than other factors.
The positive effect of watching sports is probably related to social identity. We seek group through the formation of ingroups: communities of people with whom we share something in common. These communities form part of our identity and through them we find social and emotional support.
An example of forming an ingroup is the community we share with people who support the same sports teams as us. Research shows that people who identify strongly with a sports team are more likely to feel emotionally supported by other fans, which increases life satisfaction.
Thanks to our shared social identity, we also share the social and emotional benefits of successes in our group. Researchers at KU Leuven in Belgium called this "reflecting glory."
However, when our team loses, we are more likely to distance ourselves from it to protect ourselves from negative social and psychological consequences.
The role of social processes linking sports viewing and well-being has been demonstrated by a Japanese study that used brain imaging.
It found that areas of the brain associated with psychological rewards (feeling good) were more active when participants watched a popular sport, such as baseball, than a less popular sport, such as golf.
So the social benefits of watching sports aren't necessarily limited to attending live events with friends and family.
We can enjoy the sense of community that our favorite athletes provide, whether we're watching sporting events live or from the comfort of our own homes, and in doing so, we can reap the psychological benefits as well.
Whether you're rooting for your team at home or at the game, you can enjoy the highs and lows of being a sports fan knowing that it's good for you – as long as you share that experience with others. | BGNES
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