“Guarding Our National Volleyball Sheroes Against Social Media Malice”: Exploring the Rejection-Identification Process Among Chinese Women’s National Volleyball Team Fans

Abstract

Sports-related online abuse has evolved into an inevitable issue and even those athletes and teams honored as national icons cannot be exceptional. This study explores how exposure to abusive content on social media affects sports fans’ behavior. More specifically, the researchers draw from social psychology and exam the rejection-identification model with fans’ team identity and hate for rival teams as parallel competitive mediators in the context of online abuse in sports. Using a sample comprising 917 fans of the Chinese Women’s National Volleyball Team (CWV), the study suggested that exposure to online abuse is linked to a decrease in fans’ intention to create content and advocate for their teams on social media. However, the identification with their idol and hatred towards the opposing groups are evidenced to buffer negative behavioral impacts, revealing an effective psychological mechanism among fans. These findings shed light on the dual psycho-behavioral impacts of online abuse on sports fans and provide practical implications for addressing online incivility and mitigating its toxic effects on sports communication and management.