The Psychological Benefits of Superstitious Rituals in Top Sport: A Study Among Top Sportspersons (original) (raw)

The current research addresses the psychological benefits of superstitious rituals in top sport, examining the circumstances under which top-class sportspersons are especially committed to enacting rituals prior to a game (ritual commitment). Consistent with the hypotheses, findings revealed that ritual commitment is greater when (a) uncertainty is high rather than low; and (b) importance of the game is high rather than low. Complementary analyses revealed that the state of psychological tension mediated both effect of importance and uncertainty on ritual commitment. Moreover, players with an external locus of control exhibited greater levels of ritual commitment than did players with an internal locus of control. The results are discussed in terms of the tension-regulation function of superstitious rituals in top sport. Some football players want to enter the field first, others want to enter the field last, whereas still others want to touch the grass just upon entering the field. And yet some players want to wear the same shirt, the same clothes, or even the same underwear for a long series of matches. It is not difficult to list more examples of what may be termed superstitious rituals. In fact, most sportspersons seem to be at least somewhat superstitious, especially those who are performing at the top. Why is it that seemingly sane sportspersons sometimes act in rather unusual ways before a match? Do they need to engage in such acts in every match? Does it also depend on the team for which they are playing? And does it matter whether the stakes are high or low? The present research 1 The authors thank Edwin Lieben and Kees van den Bos for their helpful comments on an