Team identification refers to the psychological connection a fan feels to a sports team (Wann & James, 2017). This concept has been studied for a long time, and even though there are different ways to define it, they all agree that it’s important (Lock & Heere, 2017). The earliest known use of the term “team identification” seems to come from Griffith in the 1930s, who used the term to describe fans of the Chicago Cubs (Griffith, 1938).
While team identification is sometimes used interchangeably with “loyalty,” these terms are not the same thing (Wann & James, 2019). Loyalty is a highly developed attitude that involves cognitive biases, behavior, and resistance to change (Funk & James, 2001). Jacoby and Kyner (1978) provided a comprehensive view of loyalty as repeat purchasing based on cognitive, affective, evaluative, and dispositional factors. In other words, loyalty involves both attitude and behavior. While feeling connected to a team can make you more likely to be loyal to them, it’s not the same thing as loyalty.
Funk, D. C., & James, J. D. (2001). The Psychological Continuum Model: A conceptual framework for understand- ing an individual’s psychological connection to sport. Sport Management Review, 4, 119150.
Griffith, C. R. (1938). General report, Coleman Roberts Griffith papers. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois.
Jacoby, J., & Kyner, D. B. (1978). Brand loyalty vs. repeat purchasing behaviour. Journal of Marketing Research, 10, 19.
Lock, D., & Heere, B. (2017). Identity crisis: A theoretical analysis of ‘team identification’ research. European Sport Marketing Quarterly.
Wann, D. L., & James, J. D. (2017). Sport fans: The psychology and social impact of spectators (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge Press.
Wann, D., & James, J. D. (2019). In D. Hackfort, R. J. Schinke, & B. Strauss (Eds.), Dictionary of sport psychology: Sport, exercise, and performing arts. Academic Press.
