How watching sports events empowers people’s sense of wellbeing? The role of chain mediation in social interaction and emotional experience
BackgroundWhile engaging in sports is widely recognized for enhancing wellbeing, limited research has examined the effects of watching sports events on individuals’ subjective wellbeing. The mechanisms and pathways underlying this relationship remain unclear.ObjectivesThis study explores the correla...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1471658/full |
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| author | Jiru Guo Hong Yang Xiaoli Zhang Xiaoli Zhang |
| author_facet | Jiru Guo Hong Yang Xiaoli Zhang Xiaoli Zhang |
| author_sort | Jiru Guo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundWhile engaging in sports is widely recognized for enhancing wellbeing, limited research has examined the effects of watching sports events on individuals’ subjective wellbeing. The mechanisms and pathways underlying this relationship remain unclear.ObjectivesThis study explores the correlation between watching sports events and the wellbeing of Chinese individuals, based on the theoretical framework of “spectator behavior → social interaction → emotional experience → happiness.” The aim is to investigate the mediating effects of social interaction and emotional experience, providing insights for promoting greater participation in sports events and supporting the healthy development of the sports industry.MethodsThe study involved 885 participants from five representative provinces and cities in China. Assessment tools included the Physical Activity Rating Scale, Social Interaction Questionnaire, Emotional Experience Questionnaire, and Subjective Wellbeing Scale. Data were analyzed using Stata and the PROCESS plug-in of SPSS for comprehensive multivariate statistical analysis.ResultsWatching sports events significantly and positively affects subjective wellbeing, social interaction, and emotional experience (p < 0.001). Three mediating pathways were identified: (1) watching sports events → social interaction → subjective wellbeing (effect size: 0.024), (2) watching sports events → emotional experience → subjective wellbeing (effect size: 0.011), and (3) watching sports events → social interaction → emotional experience → subjective wellbeing (effect size: 0.003).ConclusionThe direct impact of watching sports events on subjective wellbeing was positive. Indirect effects were facilitated by the mediating roles of social interaction and emotional experience, with the effect of social interaction being more substantial than that of emotional experience.ImplicationsThese findings suggest that watching sports events can serve as a catalyst for enhancing wellbeing, primarily through fostering social connections and enriching emotional experiences. Practically, this indicates the potential value of encouraging viewership of sports events as a means of promoting community engagement and mental health, thus contributing to the holistic growth of the sports sector and public health initiatives. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc1561ef1307416a803aef37c3f6ee62 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc1561ef1307416a803aef37c3f6ee622025-08-20T02:31:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-12-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.14716581471658How watching sports events empowers people’s sense of wellbeing? The role of chain mediation in social interaction and emotional experienceJiru Guo0Hong Yang1Xiaoli Zhang2Xiaoli Zhang3School of Economics and Management, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Physical Education, Xi’an Physical Education University, Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Physical Education, Xi’an Physical Education University, Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Physical Education and Sport Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, ChinaBackgroundWhile engaging in sports is widely recognized for enhancing wellbeing, limited research has examined the effects of watching sports events on individuals’ subjective wellbeing. The mechanisms and pathways underlying this relationship remain unclear.ObjectivesThis study explores the correlation between watching sports events and the wellbeing of Chinese individuals, based on the theoretical framework of “spectator behavior → social interaction → emotional experience → happiness.” The aim is to investigate the mediating effects of social interaction and emotional experience, providing insights for promoting greater participation in sports events and supporting the healthy development of the sports industry.MethodsThe study involved 885 participants from five representative provinces and cities in China. Assessment tools included the Physical Activity Rating Scale, Social Interaction Questionnaire, Emotional Experience Questionnaire, and Subjective Wellbeing Scale. Data were analyzed using Stata and the PROCESS plug-in of SPSS for comprehensive multivariate statistical analysis.ResultsWatching sports events significantly and positively affects subjective wellbeing, social interaction, and emotional experience (p < 0.001). Three mediating pathways were identified: (1) watching sports events → social interaction → subjective wellbeing (effect size: 0.024), (2) watching sports events → emotional experience → subjective wellbeing (effect size: 0.011), and (3) watching sports events → social interaction → emotional experience → subjective wellbeing (effect size: 0.003).ConclusionThe direct impact of watching sports events on subjective wellbeing was positive. Indirect effects were facilitated by the mediating roles of social interaction and emotional experience, with the effect of social interaction being more substantial than that of emotional experience.ImplicationsThese findings suggest that watching sports events can serve as a catalyst for enhancing wellbeing, primarily through fostering social connections and enriching emotional experiences. Practically, this indicates the potential value of encouraging viewership of sports events as a means of promoting community engagement and mental health, thus contributing to the holistic growth of the sports sector and public health initiatives.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1471658/fullwatching sports eventssubjective wellbeingsocial interactionemotional experiencechain mediation |
| spellingShingle | Jiru Guo Hong Yang Xiaoli Zhang Xiaoli Zhang How watching sports events empowers people’s sense of wellbeing? The role of chain mediation in social interaction and emotional experience Frontiers in Psychology watching sports events subjective wellbeing social interaction emotional experience chain mediation |
| title | How watching sports events empowers people’s sense of wellbeing? The role of chain mediation in social interaction and emotional experience |
| title_full | How watching sports events empowers people’s sense of wellbeing? The role of chain mediation in social interaction and emotional experience |
| title_fullStr | How watching sports events empowers people’s sense of wellbeing? The role of chain mediation in social interaction and emotional experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | How watching sports events empowers people’s sense of wellbeing? The role of chain mediation in social interaction and emotional experience |
| title_short | How watching sports events empowers people’s sense of wellbeing? The role of chain mediation in social interaction and emotional experience |
| title_sort | how watching sports events empowers people s sense of wellbeing the role of chain mediation in social interaction and emotional experience |
| topic | watching sports events subjective wellbeing social interaction emotional experience chain mediation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1471658/full |
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