Content area
Full Text
Abstract
In the years since basking in spite of reflected failure (BIRFing) was hypothesized, no empirical evidence has confirmed its existence, nor have the various hypothesized antecedents been investigated. This multiphase study makes a much-needed contribution to the sport consumer behavior literature in its investigation of BIRFing behaviors, utilizing a sample of long-suffering fans of the Chicago Cubs. Results confirmed that diehard fans do BIRF, the behavior is predicted by team identification, and that loyalty and camaraderie are antecedents. Data collection for the study's second phase was completed immediately following the natural experiment of a World Series title and confirmed a statistically significant difference in Cubs fans' propensity to bask in reflected glory (BIRG) following an improvement in performance, in the form of a long-awaited World Series title. No difference was found in BIRFing, given that it is rooted in one's loyalty towards one's team, rather than on-field performance.
Keywords: consumer behavior, BIRGing, BIRFing, identification, social identity, natural experiments
Introduction
In 1976, Robert Cialdini et al. published the first research study investigating the psychology of sport fans, or the study of sport consumer behavior. "Basking in reflected glory: Three (Football) field studies" (Cialdini et al., 1976) found fans were more likely to wear team-affiliated apparel and use first person personal pronouns to describe their favored team's victories, providing empirical evidence of the psychological phenomenon of basking in reflected glory-or BIRGing. The study demonstrated the presence of an ego defense mechanism, having profound effects across a variety of fields, including not only sport marketing but also cognitive and social psychology.
In the subsequent four decades, a number of other psychological mechanisms have been theorized by studying the behavior of fans, including blasting (Cialdini & Richardson, 1980) and cutting off reflected failure (CORFing; Snyder, Lassegard, & Ford, 1986). In 2004, two additional concepts were offered by Campbell, Aiken, and Kent (2004) to explain why fans of losing teams continued their support (i.e., basking in spite of reflected failure, or BIRFing). Given the unique nature in which sport consumers attach themselves to their favored teams and the vast economic, social, and psychological impacts resulting from that attachment, an empirical investigation of the reasons why sport consumers continue to support losing teams was warranted. Thus, this research features...