Sport Involvement: A Conceptual and Empirical Analysis

The conceptual roots of involvement are considered to better understand the construct’s use in sport management research and practice. Sport involvement is conceptualized as a multifaceted construct representing the degree to which participation in a sport activity becomes a central component of a person’s life and provides both hedonic and symbolic value. An empirical analysis of marathon runners (N = 3117) was conducted using three involvement facets of hedonic value, centrality and symbolic value to classify participants into theoretically meaningful groups within the broader, stage-based theoretical framework of the Psychological Continuum Model. The classification revealed behavioural differences suggesting runners with stronger psychological connections increasingly engage in the frequency, depth and breadth of running-related behaviours. Managerial implications are discussed.