This study examined regional differences in sports rivalry intensity among fans in the US and Canada. It hypothesized that fans in the Northeast US would harbor the most animosity towards rivals, while Canadian fans would harbor the least. An online survey of over 5000 sports fans found that Northeastern US fans expressed significantly higher levels of prejudice, discrimination, schadenfreude, and disidentification towards rivals than fans in other regions, supporting the hypotheses. Canadian fans consistently expressed the lowest levels of rivalry animosity. The results suggest regional differences exist in how intensely fans engage in sports rivalries.

1. Are Canadians really more friendly?
Rivalry variation by geographic region
Jeremy Ditter, Dr. Joe Cobbs, Dr. Bridget Nichols
Northern Kentucky University
Dr. B. David Tyler
Western Carolina University

2. Identification and Rivalry
• Social Identity Theory
• Formation of ingroups—consisting of members perceived as
similar to oneself—and outgroups, composed of others perceived
as different from oneself (Stets & Burke, 2000).
• In sports, identification is salient identity feature of fans who
embrace team identity by absorbing team success/failure as their
own fortune (Cialdini et al., 1976)
• Rival defined as “highly salient outgroup that poses an
acute threat to the identity of the ingroup or to ingroup
members’ ability to make positive comparisons between
their group and the outgroup” (Tyler & Cobbs 2015, p. 230)

3. Rivalry Outcomes
Schadenfreude
• Propensity for joy in rivals' failure (Havard, 2014)
Adverse reactions
• Aggression toward rivals that threaten fans' positive identity
(Havard, Wann, & Ryan, 2013; Wann, 1993)

4. Regional variation
• H1: There are differences of rivalry intensity among
regions
• H1a: Northeast US harbors most animosity
• H1b: Canadians harbor least animosity
Hypothesis
• Krug and Kulhavy (1973) compared US Census regions by creativity,
imagination, intelligence, etc.
• Rentfrow, Gosling, and Porter (2008) examined five personality traits
within regionally clustered states
• Northeastern US harbors more neuroticism (linked to antisocial behavior)
and lower agreeableness (linked to friendliness)
• Canadians most friendly and generous by nationality stereotype
(Gardner et al., 1972)

5. Regional
• Northeast
• Midwest
• Southeast
• West
• Canada
Census Regions

6. Method
• Qualtrics online survey​
• Respondents recruited from team
message boards​
• Name favorite team​
• List favorite team’s top rival​
• Questions pertaining to relationships
with favorite team and top rival
• Dalakas & Melancon, 2012; Elsbach &
Bhattacharya, 2001; Mael & Ashforth, 1992;
Pettigrew & Meertens, 1995
• 7-point scales from Strongly Disagree
to Strongly Agree​
SAMPLE
N = 5145
91% Male
70% with some undergraduate
education or higher
Regions
• 25% NE
• 28% Midwest
• 17% Southeast
• 20% West
• 10% Canada

7. Measures
• Prejudice
• [Rival Team’s] fans are more obnoxious than the fans of a typical team
• Relationship discrimination (Pettigrew & Meertens, 1995)
• I would not mind if my child became a(n) [Rival Team] fan
• Schadenfreude (Dalakas & Melancon, 2012)
• I will feel joy if a player from the [Rival Team] gets suspended for a
year, even if the suspension was not completely deserved
• Disidentification (Elsbach & Bhattacharya, 2001; Mael & Ashforth, 1992)
• When someone criticizes the [Rival Team], it feels like a personal
compliment

8. Descriptive Stats
Regions
ID Mean
(SD)
Prejudice
Mean (SD)
Relations Mean
(SD)
Schadenfreude
Mean (SD)
DisID Mean
(SD)
1-NE 4.88 (1.05) 5.23 (1.43) 3.32 (1.37) 3.76 (1.68) 4.06 (1.61)
2-MidW 4.96 (1.10) 4.98 (1.51) 3.23 (1.30) 3.56 (1.70) 3.93 (1.59)
3-SE 5.10 (1.07) 4.74 (1.64) 3.21 (1.35) 3.48 (1.70) 3.97 (1.60)
4-W 4.95 (1.09) 5.06 (1.54) 3.11 (1.30) 3.44 (1.75) 3.94 (1.57)
5-CN 4.65 (1.16) 4.62 (1.61) 2.72 (1.23) 3.14 (1.71) 3.65 (1.55)
Overall 4.94 (1.09) 4.98 (1.54) 3.18 (1.33) 3.53 (1.71) 3.94 (1.59)
Highest = Red
Lowest = Blue

9. MANOVA results
Prejudice Relations Schadenfreude DisID
F (df) 11.16 (3223) 10.52(3342) 9.07 (3241) 4.90 (4439)
P Value <.001 <.001 <.001 .001

10. Post hoc tests (H1a: NE)
• Fans of Northeast US teams  Greater rivalry animosity
• Significantly more feelings of prejudice against rival team fans
compared to each other region (vs. West not significant level)
• Higher relationship discrimination toward rival fans (vs.
West/Canadian fans significant).
• Significantly greater schadenfreude for rival teams (all sig.)
• Higher dis-identification toward rivals (only vs. Canada sig.)
• Fans of NE teams scored lowest identification mean
compared to other US regions (only vs. South sig.)

11. Post hoc tests (H1b: CN)
Fans of Canadian teams  less rival animosity
• Significantly lower means compared to each of the four US
regions in 13 of 16 tests (four DVs)
• Significantly less feelings of prejudice against rival fans compared to each
other region (only vs. South not sig.)
• Significantly less relationship discrimination toward rival fans compared to
each US region
• Lower schadenfreude toward rivals (only vs. NE/MW sig.)
• Significantly lower dis-identification toward rivals for fans of Canadian teams
• Also, significantly less ID with their favorite teams compared to
each US region

12. Implications
• Regional marketing/promotions
• Future research
• Expand to more sports, global regions
• NBA and college sports
• Other continents
• Other methods to measure human behavior pertaining to rivalry
• A more micro look into geographic differences incl. ID
• Smaller grouped regions
• Urban vs. Rural
• Limitations
• Highly male sample
• Majority of respondents from Northeast and Midwest
• Least respondents from Canada