Sport Psychology Studies

Sport Psychology Studies

The effect of brain-behavioral systems on destructive behaviors of football spectators: The mediating role of emotion type

Document Type : Original research

Authors
javad Einipour 1
Ali Asghar Mohammadnejadabadi 2
Hamid Reza Farahmand Asl 1
1 Amin University of Police Sciences Member
2 Faculty member of Amin University of Law Enforcement Sciences
10.22089/spsyj.2025.17900.2563
Abstract
Background and Objective: Vandalistic behaviors of football spectators, as an important challenge in the field of sports psychology and collective behavior, require the investigation of effective psychological and neurological factors. This study aimed to investigate the effect of brain-behavioral systems on vandalistic behaviors and the mediating role of affect type (positive/negative).

Method: This study was a Path analysis and conducted using standard questionnaires including the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), the Vandalism Questionnaire, and the Gray-Wilson Personality Questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of football spectators, and the data were analyzed using SASJMP-18 software and path analysis (structural equation modeling).

Findings: Negative affect had a positive and significant relationship with destructive behaviors. Positive affect did not show a significant effect on destructive behaviors. Active avoidance, mediated by negative affect, had an inverse and significant relationship with destructive behaviors. Fighting, mediated by negative affect, showed a positive and significant relationship with destructive behaviors. Positive affect as a mediator did not have a significant effect in any of the paths.

Conclusion: Negative affect plays a key role in transforming brain-behavioral systems strategies (especially active avoidance and fighting) into destructive behaviors, while positive affect has no effect in this regard. These findings emphasize the importance of managing negative affect and strengthening adaptive coping strategies to reduce vandalistic behaviors. It is suggested that future studies also examine other moderating variables such as affect intensity and cultural contexts.
Keywords
Brain-behavioral systems
vandalistic behaviors
positive affect
negative affect
football spectators

Subjects

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2.       Ashrafi, Emad, Rasoulzadeh Tabatabaei, Seyed Kazem, and Azadfallah, Parviz. (2007). Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Gray-Wilson Personality Questionnaire in Iranian students. Iranian Neuropsychology Symposium (Jihad Daneshgahi, Alborz Branch (Teacher Education)). In Persian

3.       Bakhshipour, Abbas and Dejkam, Mahmoud. (2005). Confirmatory factor analysis of positive and negative affect scale. Psychology, 36(9), 351-365. In Persian

4.       Bahrman, Abdolrahman (2014). Investigating factors affecting vandalism among adolescents (case study of boys' high schools in Jask city. Master's thesis in Sociology, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas Branch. In Persian

5.       Balaji, M. S. &. Chakraborti, R. (2015). Stadium atmosphere: scale development and validation in Indian context. Journal of Indian Business Research, 7(1),45-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIBR-05-2014-0029

6.       Carver, C. S. , & White, T. L. (1994). Behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(2), 319–333.

https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.67.2.319

7.       Corr, P. J. (2004). Reinforcement sensitivity theory and personality. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 28(3), 317–332.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j. neubiorev. 2004.01.005

8.       Gray, J. A. (1987). The psychology of fear and stress (2nd ed. ). Cambridge University Press.

https://psycnet. apa.org/record/1988-97887-000

9.       Jalali Farahani, Majid; Ali Dost Ghafarakhi, Ibrahim. (2017). Management of sports events and camps. Tehran. Tehran University Publications. [Persian]

10.   javanmard, K. , & sanatkhah, A. (2022). Qualitative explanation of the grounds and conditions of participation of female students in public sports (Case study: Payame Noor University of Kerman). Woman in Development & Politics, 20(3), 365-388. In Persian

https://doi.org/10.22059/jwdp. 2022.335488.1008125

11.   Jolliffe, D. , & Farrington, D. P. (2004). Empathy and offending: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 9(5), 441–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. avb. 2003.03.001

12.   Majewska, A. Majewska, Al. (2022). Are social media matter for the football club finance. Procedia Computer Science, 207, 2068-2076. Mir-Kroudi, Ayman; Moradi-Siaser, Gholam-Reza. (2018). Translation of the book Police, Important Sports and Social Events, James F. Barakat. Tehran: University of Law Enforcement Sciences.

https://doi: 10.1016/j. procs. 2022.09.266

13.   Mohammadi, S. , & Ghobadi, A. (2022). The Role of Excitement in the Reappearance of the Spectators in Football Premier League Matches with Mediating Role Perceived Quality and Satisfaction of the Event. Consumer Behavior Studies Journal, 9(1), 92-112. In Persian

https://doi.org/10.34785/J018.2022.664

14.   McNaughton, N. , & Corr, P. J. (2004). A two-dimensional neuropsychology of defense: Fear/anxiety and defensive distance. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 28(3), 285–305.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j. neubiorev. 2004.03.005

15.   Nordmarker, A. (2016). Graffiti – For Joy and Confirmation. Motivational aspects, triggering and inhibiting factors, and emotional satisfactions in graffiti: The creative-interactive dimension of vandalism. https://gupea. ub. gu. se/handle/2077/48363

16.   Noori,S. and Elyasi,G. (2024). Comparison of Brain-Behavioral Systems (BAS - BIS) and Differentiation of Self between Female Athletes and Non-Athletes in Secondary School. Sport Psychology Studies, 13(49), 133-146. https://doi:10.22089/spsyj.2024.14366.2380 .

17.   Panahi,M. , esmaeili,A. , Goodarzi,K. and Roozbahani,M. (2023). Personality and Motivation for Participation in Sport: Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation. Sport Psychology Studies, 11(42), 199-222. https://doi:10.22089/spsyj.2022.12721.2309

18.   Potwarka, L. R. , Safati, A. B. , Pappas, A. T. , Ramchandani, G. , Naraine, M. L. , Gurbez, N. , & Hall, P. A. (2024). Understanding the Sport Viewership Experience using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.01.606260

19.   Russell, G. W. (2004). Sport riots: A social-psychological review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 9(4), 353–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. avb. 2003.03.001

20.   Smith KE, Wang WL, Mason TB (2023). Facets of impulsivity and reward in relation to binge-eating disorder course of illness among children: findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 64(7), 1056-1066. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp. 13789

21.   Smith, A. C. T. , & Stewart, B. (2009). The special features of sport: A critical revisit. Sport Management Review, 13(1), 1–13.https://doi.org/10.1016/j. smr. 2009.07.002.

22.   Spaaij, R. (2008). Men like us, boys like them: Violence, masculinity, and collective identity in football hooliganism. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 32(4), 369–392. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723508324082

23.   Suri, D. , Zanni, G. , Mahadevia, D.  et al. (2023). Dopamine transporter blockade during adolescence increases adult dopamine function, impulsivity, and aggression.  Mol Psychiatry, 28, 3512–3523.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-023-02194-w

24.   Wilson, G. , Gray, J. , & Barrett, P. T. (1990). A factor analysis of the Gray -Wilson personality questionnaire. Personality and Individual Differences,11:1037-1045.

https://doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(90)90131-A

 

1.       Afsar-e-Kashmiri, Bijan. (2002) A look at football violence. Social Sciences Letter. 10(19), 35-27.
2.       Ashrafi, Emad, Rasoulzadeh Tabatabaei, Seyed Kazem, and Azadfallah, Parviz. (2007). Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Gray-Wilson Personality Questionnaire in Iranian students. Iranian Neuropsychology Symposium (Jihad Daneshgahi, Alborz Branch (Teacher Education)). In Persian
3.       Bakhshipour, Abbas and Dejkam, Mahmoud. (2005). Confirmatory factor analysis of positive and negative affect scale. Psychology, 36(9), 351-365. In Persian
4.       Bahrman, Abdolrahman (2014). Investigating factors affecting vandalism among adolescents (case study of boys' high schools in Jask city. Master's thesis in Sociology, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas Branch. In Persian
5.       Balaji, M. S. &. Chakraborti, R. (2015). Stadium atmosphere: scale development and validation in Indian context. Journal of Indian Business Research, 7(1),45-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIBR-05-2014-0029
6.       Carver, C. S. , & White, T. L. (1994). Behavioral inhibition, behavioral activation, and affective responses to impending reward and punishment: The BIS/BAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(2), 319–333.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.67.2.319
7.       Corr, P. J. (2004). Reinforcement sensitivity theory and personality. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 28(3), 317–332.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j. neubiorev. 2004.01.005
8.       Gray, J. A. (1987). The psychology of fear and stress (2nd ed. ). Cambridge University Press.
https://psycnet. apa.org/record/1988-97887-000
9.       Jalali Farahani, Majid; Ali Dost Ghafarakhi, Ibrahim. (2017). Management of sports events and camps. Tehran. Tehran University Publications. [Persian]
10.   javanmard, K. , & sanatkhah, A. (2022). Qualitative explanation of the grounds and conditions of participation of female students in public sports (Case study: Payame Noor University of Kerman). Woman in Development & Politics, 20(3), 365-388. In Persian
https://doi.org/10.22059/jwdp. 2022.335488.1008125
11.   Jolliffe, D. , & Farrington, D. P. (2004). Empathy and offending: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 9(5), 441–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. avb. 2003.03.001
12.   Majewska, A. Majewska, Al. (2022). Are social media matter for the football club finance. Procedia Computer Science, 207, 2068-2076. Mir-Kroudi, Ayman; Moradi-Siaser, Gholam-Reza. (2018). Translation of the book Police, Important Sports and Social Events, James F. Barakat. Tehran: University of Law Enforcement Sciences.
https://doi: 10.1016/j. procs. 2022.09.266
13.   Mohammadi, S. , & Ghobadi, A. (2022). The Role of Excitement in the Reappearance of the Spectators in Football Premier League Matches with Mediating Role Perceived Quality and Satisfaction of the Event. Consumer Behavior Studies Journal, 9(1), 92-112. In Persian
https://doi.org/10.34785/J018.2022.664
14.   McNaughton, N. , & Corr, P. J. (2004). A two-dimensional neuropsychology of defense: Fear/anxiety and defensive distance. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 28(3), 285–305.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j. neubiorev. 2004.03.005
15.   Nordmarker, A. (2016). Graffiti – For Joy and Confirmation. Motivational aspects, triggering and inhibiting factors, and emotional satisfactions in graffiti: The creative-interactive dimension of vandalism. https://gupea. ub. gu. se/handle/2077/48363
16.   Noori,S. and Elyasi,G. (2024). Comparison of Brain-Behavioral Systems (BAS - BIS) and Differentiation of Self between Female Athletes and Non-Athletes in Secondary School. Sport Psychology Studies, 13(49), 133-146. https://doi:10.22089/spsyj.2024.14366.2380 .
17.   Panahi,M. , esmaeili,A. , Goodarzi,K. and Roozbahani,M. (2023). Personality and Motivation for Participation in Sport: Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation. Sport Psychology Studies, 11(42), 199-222. https://doi:10.22089/spsyj.2022.12721.2309
18.   Potwarka, L. R. , Safati, A. B. , Pappas, A. T. , Ramchandani, G. , Naraine, M. L. , Gurbez, N. , & Hall, P. A. (2024). Understanding the Sport Viewership Experience using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.01.606260
19.   Russell, G. W. (2004). Sport riots: A social-psychological review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 9(4), 353–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. avb. 2003.03.001
20.   Smith KE, Wang WL, Mason TB (2023). Facets of impulsivity and reward in relation to binge-eating disorder course of illness among children: findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 64(7), 1056-1066. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp. 13789
21.   Smith, A. C. T. , & Stewart, B. (2009). The special features of sport: A critical revisit. Sport Management Review, 13(1), 1–13.https://doi.org/10.1016/j. smr. 2009.07.002.
22.   Spaaij, R. (2008). Men like us, boys like them: Violence, masculinity, and collective identity in football hooliganism. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 32(4), 369–392. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723508324082
23.   Suri, D. , Zanni, G. , Mahadevia, D.  et al. (2023). Dopamine transporter blockade during adolescence increases adult dopamine function, impulsivity, and aggression.  Mol Psychiatry, 28, 3512–3523.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-023-02194-w
24.   Wilson, G. , Gray, J. , & Barrett, P. T. (1990). A factor analysis of the Gray -Wilson personality questionnaire. Personality and Individual Differences,11:1037-1045.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(90)90131-A
 
Sport Psychology Studies
Volume 14, Issue 53
Summer 2025
Pages 135-148

  • Receive Date 20 April 2025
  • Revise Date 05 August 2025
  • Accept Date 12 August 2025