THE IMPACT OF TEAM IDENTIFICATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF AN ATHLETE'S PHYSICAL DISABILITY ON SPECTATORS' IMPRESSIONS OF PLAYERS.

Wann et al. (2006) found that highly identified fans reported positive ratings of a player described as a potential member of a favored team but negative ratings of the same player when he was described as a potential player for a rival team. In a different study of fans' perceptions, Cottingham, Wann, and Byon (2013) found that individuals who learned of players' hearing impairments rated their team more favorably than persons who were not provided with this information. The current study was designed to integrate these two works. Participants (N = 170) watched a video of a potential player who was described as having a hearing impairment (or not) and as a recruit for a favored team or a rival team. Respondents also completed an assessment of their identification with the favored team. Consistent with expectations, mention of the player's impairment resulted in greater perceptions of the player as inspirational. However, contrary to the hypothesis, highly identified fans were not biased in their player ratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]