Factors leading to group identification: A field study of winners and losers
通过实地研究职业体育粉丝，发现不成功群体的成员基于对领域投入和成员吸引力来认同群体，而成功群体成员则主要基于感知群体表现；认同强度与支持性消费行为强相关。
Why do fans of losing sports teams, alumni of poorly ranked educational programs, and patrons of charities that are rocked by scandal maintain or even increase their support? The present research investigates this issue by examining how differences in group success affect the factors that lead to identification and ultimately the incidence of group-supportive behaviors. The results of a two-group field study of professional sports fans suggest that members of unsuccessful groups identify on the basis of their involvement with the domain in which the group operates and the attractiveness of group members. Also, whereas perceived group performance is the most important factor leading to identification for members of successful groups, this factor is irrelevant to members of unsuccessful groups. In addition, the study finds a strong association between the strength of identification and the incidence of group-supportive consumption behaviors for members of both types of groups. The research has important implications for organizations that depend upon member support, such as sports teams, educational institutions, musical groups, and charities. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.