RITUALS & SUPERSTITIONS IN SPORT

PEP 540 – Dr. MartinezPresented by Cody Martinez & Dusty Young5/7/14

Ritual Theory

Theory of ideas that explains the social existence and influence of religious ideas

Stresses that the primacy of religious behavior is born through emotional experiences and past traditions

Is sport looked at as a religion? If so, how?

Rituals & Superstitions

Ritual – a sequence of activities, which when performed regularly, is believed to lead to certain results

Superstition – unusual, repetitive , rigid behavior that is perceived to have a positive effect by the individual

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mttHlV1WjMk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mttHlV1WjMk http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDg1UO6X0KRjc&v=g1UO6X0KRjc

How many of you have had your own rituals/superstitions while competing in sport?

Locus of Control

Internal Control Individuals are inclined to see events as

the consequence of their actions

External Control Individuals are inclined to see the same

events as unrelated to their actions and rather as a consequence of luck, chance, fate, or power

Perceived Benefits of Rituals & Superstitions Why do you think athletes have

rituals/superstitions? Perceived higher performance More control of the situation Heightened awareness Alleviates stress/anxiety

Religious Rituals Promotes well being and adds greater

significance to meaning

Why are some athletes more superstitious than others? Research shows that superstitious

individuals are less self-confident and experience a higher level of psychological tension before a match than do less superstitious persons

Is this true?

Ritual Theory & Everyday Life Athletes tend to have a very

organized way of life, thus everyday agendas can be looked at as ritualistic

Days normally do not bring about unusual or unfamiliar situations

If an athlete does something different and performs well, they will usually remember and repeat it

Examples?

Possible consequences

Obsessive (OCD) Performing rituals during contests that

could lead to distraction and cause detriment to performance Karate practitioner lowering guard due to

ritual Too many rituals

Establish so many rituals/use of superstitious activities causes harm to performance/body Examples: too reliant on these beliefs

instead of ability, time consuming, diet, “untouchable”

Limitations/Weaknesses

Most research focuses on individual behavior whereas most sports are team driven

Most research done based on hypothetical situations/discussion instead of “in-the-moment behaviors”

No measure to determine how/if rituals/superstitions actually affect individual performance or game outcome

References

Maranise, A. (2013). Superstition & religious ritual: an examination of their effects and utilization in sport. The Sport Psychologist. 27, 83-91.

Schippers ,M. & Van Lange, P. (2006). The psychological benefits of superstitious rituals in top sport: a study among top sportspersons. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 36, 10, 2532-2553.

Zivanovic, N., Randelovic N., & Savic Z. (2012). Superstitions and rituals in modern sport. APES. 2, 220- 224 .

Bell, C. (1992). Ritual Theory Ritual Practice. New York, NY. Oxford University Press

QUESTIONS