Autobiographical Memories of Televised Sporting Events Watched in Different Social Settings

Abstract

The present study asked 157 men and 154 women to recall their memories of viewing both enjoyed and nonenjoyed televised sporting events from the past year in each of four social circumstances: with friends, with family, with spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend or significant other, and by oneself. For memories of all eight events, participants were asked (1) the number and sex of coviewers, (2) concurrent behaviors and cognitions engaged in while viewing, (3) uses and gratifications sought for enjoyed events, and (4) failed uses and gratifications for nonenjoyed events. Two analyses of variance, one full multiple regression, and one step-wise regression were conducted. Analyses indicated that social circumstance of viewing and sex of participant were associated with uses and gratifications for enjoyed events, failed uses and gratifications for nonenjoyed events, and concurrent behaviors and cognitions engaged in during the viewing. Results are discussed in light of the uses and gratifications paradigm and Wenner and Gantz's 1998 five fanship dimensions. An extension of this model to nonenjoyed sporting events is proposed.