Neural Correlates of Winning and Losing While Watching Soccer Matches

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the emotions experienced by spectators when their favorite team wins or loses a soccer match using fMRI. Those who watched winning scenes showed activation of the right and left occipital lobes, left temporal lobe, left limbic lobe, middle occipital gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, guneus, and uncus. Those who watched losing scenes showed activation of the right frontal lobe and right limbic lobe. This result suggests that emotional suppression is much stronger in negative emotional responses than in positive responses.

Keywords:

• emotion
• fMRI
• losing
• neural activity
• soccer
• winning