Fans and Pronouns: How 'We' and 'They' Shape Sports Identity
The article discusses how fans use 'we' to associate with team victories and 'they' for losses, a phenomenon called basking in reflected glory. It explains that this language reflects identity and emotional investment. The opposite of pride for fans is shame, not humility.
Robert Cialdini's 1970s field experiments revealed that fans adopt "we" after victories to publicly claim a share of success, a tactic to enhance their own image. The studies tracked campus apparel and pronoun usage, showing a clear pattern: wins prompt personal identification, losses prompt distancing.
This "basking in reflected glory" (BIRG-ing) functions as a psychological shield. For devoted fans, a loss triggers shame, not humility, leading to a linguistic shift to "they" to protect self-esteem. The emotional investment is real, even if the athletic contribution is not.
The pronoun shift between "we" and "they" could significantly influence community mental health. Fans may experience collective pride that boosts social bonding and personal well-being after wins, but losses may trigger shame and disconnection. This linguistic pattern could affect how individuals process disappointment, potentially impacting group identity and emotional resilience in sports-centric communities. The effect may be strongest for those with high team identification.