Belongingness as a mediator of the relationship between felt stigma and identification in fans

ABSTRACT

In the present study we examined the relationship between felt stigma and fan group identification as well as potential mediators of this relationship. Fans of various interests (e.g., sport, music) completed measures regarding felt stigma toward the fan group, psychological needs obtained through group membership (e.g., self-esteem, belonging), and identification with the fan community. The results showed that felt stigma predicted fan group identification, and the relationship was mediated by a psychological need for belonging. The results support prior research regarding the association between stigma and identification. However, the results add to the literature by showing belongingness as a mediator of this association.

KEYWORDS:

• Fandom
• stigma
• belonging
• fan
• motivation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data described in this article are openly available in the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/pka8w/?view_only=cd34b79e3edf452391c2f633883c5aca

Open Scholarship

This article has earned the Center for Open science badges for Open Materials through Open Practices Disclosure. The materials are openly accessible at https://osf.io/pka8w/?view_only=cd34b79e3edf452391c2f633883c5aca

Notes

1. Materials can be found on the Open Science Framework (OSF) website at: https://osf.io/pka8w/?view_only=cd34b79e3edf452391c2f633883c5aca.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrew Michael Tague

Andrew Michael Tague is a Ph. D. student at Texas A&M - Commerce. His research interests include topics related to social identity and business.

Stephen Reysen

Stephen Reysen is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He teaches classes related to social psychology, intergroup relations, and multicultural diversity. His research interests include topics related to personal (e.g., fanship, threats to interpersonal public identity) and social identity (e.g., fandom, global citizenship).

Courtney Plante

Dr. Courtney Plante “Nuka” is an assistant professor at Bishop's University. His research interests focus primarily on identity and well-being in fan groups, in particular those based on fantasy-themed media. He also studies the effects of media consumption and immersion into media on cognition and behaviour. He has co-authored several books and nearly 50 peer-reviewed journal articles on these and related subjects.