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The British journal of social psychology2022; 61(4); 1376-1399; doi: 10.1111/bjso.12541

Social identity processes associated with perceived risk at pilot sporting events during COVID-19.

Abstract: Previous research suggests that shared social identification and expected support from others can reduce the extent to which attendees of mass events perceive that others pose health risks. This study evaluated the social identity processes associated with perceived risk at UK pilot sporting events held during COVID-19, including the government Events Research Programme. An online survey (N = 2029) measured attendee perceptions that other spectators adhered to safety measures, shared social identity with other attendees, expectations that others would provide support, and the perceived risk of germ spread from other attendees. Results indicate that for football attendees, seeing others adhering to COVID-19 safety measures was associated with lower perceived risk and this was partially mediated via increased shared social identity and expected support. However, the sequential mediations were non-significant for rugby and horse racing events. The decreased perceived risk for football and rugby attendees highlights the importance of understanding social identity processes at mass events to increase safety. The non-significant associations between shared social identity and perceived risk and between expected support and perceived risk for both the rugby and the horse racing highlights the need to further research risk perceptions across a range of mass event contexts.
© 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.
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Publication Date: 2022-04-15 PubMed ID: 35426451PubMed Central: PMC9111804DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12541Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study examined the relationship between attendees’ shared social identity at mass spectator sporting events and their perceptions of health risk, specifically the spread of COVID-19. It found that at football events, attendees’ perception of others following safety measures was associated with lower perceived risk, mediated by shared social identity and expected support. However, these associations were not significant for rugby and horse racing events.

Introduction and Methodology

  • The researchers carried out an online survey involving 2029 attendees of various sporting events held in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. These events were part of the government’s Events Research Programme, aimed at understanding how mass events could be held safely amidst the pandemic.
  • The study evaluated various factors like the perception of attendees that other spectators were adhering to safety rules, shared social identity with other attendees, the expectation that others would provide support in adhering to the safety measures, and the perceived risk of germ spread from other attendees.

Results and Discussion

  • For football events, the findings showed that seeing other attendees adhering to COVID-19 safety measures was associated with a lower perceived risk of germ spread.
  • This association was partially mediated through increased feelings of shared social identity among attendees and expectations of support from them. That means the perception of safety was also influenced by attendees feeling a sense of kinship with other spectators and expecting them to behave responsibly.
  • However, these links were not significant for attendees of rugby and horse racing events. The implications of these findings are twofold:
    • First, it underscores the importance of understanding social identity processes at mass events to improve safety. Social bonds among attendees can play a crucial role in reinforcing adherence to safety measures and reducing perceived health risks.
    • Second, the non-significant associations for rugby and horse racing events point to the need for further research into risk perceptions across a range of event contexts. It suggests that social identity processes may not operate in the same way across different types of events.

Cite This Article

APA
Smith K, Templeton A. (2022). Social identity processes associated with perceived risk at pilot sporting events during COVID-19. Br J Soc Psychol, 61(4), 1376-1399. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12541

Publication

The British journal of social psychology
ISSN: 2044-8309
NlmUniqueID: 8105534
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 61
Issue: 4
Pages: 1376-1399

Researcher Affiliations

Smith, Kayleigh
  • Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Templeton, Anne
  • Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • COVID-19
  • Football
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Social Identification

Conflict of Interest Statement

All authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
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