Soccer is an excellent social affiliation model, promoting inclusivity, teamwork, community spirit, social change, and personal achievement. Still, the gregarious component could be the reason behind acts of violence and vandalism. In a new study, neuroscientists at Universidad San Sebastián explored the brain mechanisms underlying positive and negative social stimuli in soccer fans during positive and negative social scenarios.
“Our study aims to shed light on the behaviors and dynamics associated with extreme rivalry, aggression and social affiliation within and between groups of fans,” said lead author Dr. Francisco Zamorano Mendieta, a researcher at Universidad San Sebastián.
Rivalries run deep in the history of sports, and fans can be very protective of their ‘home’ team and favorite players.
These same fans run the gamut of emotions watching their team succeed or fail over the course of a game or match, cheering when they score or raging at a bad call.
Soccer fans are known for their team loyalty and enthusiasm, particularly in Europe and South America.
To gain some insight into the brain mechanisms behind the behaviors of the fans, Dr. Zamorano and colleagues recruited 43 healthy male volunteers for a functional MRI (fMRI) study.
The participants are fans from the two most popular Chilean soccer teams, considered archrivals.
They were divided into two groups, 22 supporters of one team and 21 supporters of the rival team.
They completed a survey to determine a soccer fanaticism score and underwent psychological evaluations.
All participants were presented with a compilation of matches containing 63 goals.
While the participants viewed the match compilation, their brain activity was measured using fMRI, a noninvasive imaging technique that detects changes in the brain’s blood flow.
The fMRI results showed that brain activity changed when the fan’s team succeeded or failed.
“When their team wins, the reward system in the brain is…
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