Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of China
IntroductionChina’s implementation of athletic naturalization has sparked controversy, yet empirical studies on the factors influencing public attitudes toward naturalized athletes remain scarce. This study aims to address this gap by constructing a theoretical model based on social identity theory,...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1450073/full |
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| author | Haixiang Lu Haixiang Lu Dongfeng Liu Haozhou Pu Alan Robert Persaud Alan Robert Persaud |
| author_facet | Haixiang Lu Haixiang Lu Dongfeng Liu Haozhou Pu Alan Robert Persaud Alan Robert Persaud |
| author_sort | Haixiang Lu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionChina’s implementation of athletic naturalization has sparked controversy, yet empirical studies on the factors influencing public attitudes toward naturalized athletes remain scarce. This study aims to address this gap by constructing a theoretical model based on social identity theory, examining the impact of various psychological variables on respondents’ attitudes toward naturalized athletes in China’s national teams.MethodsData were collected from 704 online respondents. Descriptive and exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were conducted using SPSS 25.0. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses, utilizing SmartPLS 3.0.ResultsThe findings indicate that perceived threats negatively impact attitudes (β = −0.134, p < 0.001), while perceived benefits positively influence athlete brand image (β = 0.494, p < 0.001) and attitudes (β = 0.169, p < 0.001). Athlete brand image positively affects attitudes (β = 0.623, p < 0.01) and mediates the relationship between perceived benefits and attitudes. Additionally, sport event involvement positively moderates the relationship between athlete brand image and attitudes. The model explained 33.7% of the variance in athlete brand image and 68.5% of the variance in attitudes.DiscussionThese findings suggest that naturalization decisions should consider the candidates’ overall brand image, with the naturalization process being more transparent and the naturalized athletes’ contribution being effectively communicated to the public. Additionally, fostering public involvement in sport events can create a more favorable atmosphere for athletic naturalization. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f0fce14df55541f0a28dfacf6e0b27c4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-f0fce14df55541f0a28dfacf6e0b27c42024-11-14T04:49:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-11-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.14500731450073Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of ChinaHaixiang Lu0Haixiang Lu1Dongfeng Liu2Haozhou Pu3Alan Robert Persaud4Alan Robert Persaud5School of Economics and Management, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United StatesSchool of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, ChinaSchool for Business and Society, University of York, York, United KingdomIntroductionChina’s implementation of athletic naturalization has sparked controversy, yet empirical studies on the factors influencing public attitudes toward naturalized athletes remain scarce. This study aims to address this gap by constructing a theoretical model based on social identity theory, examining the impact of various psychological variables on respondents’ attitudes toward naturalized athletes in China’s national teams.MethodsData were collected from 704 online respondents. Descriptive and exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were conducted using SPSS 25.0. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses, utilizing SmartPLS 3.0.ResultsThe findings indicate that perceived threats negatively impact attitudes (β = −0.134, p < 0.001), while perceived benefits positively influence athlete brand image (β = 0.494, p < 0.001) and attitudes (β = 0.169, p < 0.001). Athlete brand image positively affects attitudes (β = 0.623, p < 0.01) and mediates the relationship between perceived benefits and attitudes. Additionally, sport event involvement positively moderates the relationship between athlete brand image and attitudes. The model explained 33.7% of the variance in athlete brand image and 68.5% of the variance in attitudes.DiscussionThese findings suggest that naturalization decisions should consider the candidates’ overall brand image, with the naturalization process being more transparent and the naturalized athletes’ contribution being effectively communicated to the public. Additionally, fostering public involvement in sport events can create a more favorable atmosphere for athletic naturalization.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1450073/fullnaturalized athletesathlete brand imagesport event involvementlikabilityidentificationsupport intention |
| spellingShingle | Haixiang Lu Haixiang Lu Dongfeng Liu Haozhou Pu Alan Robert Persaud Alan Robert Persaud Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of China Frontiers in Psychology naturalized athletes athlete brand image sport event involvement likability identification support intention |
| title | Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of China |
| title_full | Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of China |
| title_fullStr | Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of China |
| title_short | Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of China |
| title_sort | impact of perceived threats benefits and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of china |
| topic | naturalized athletes athlete brand image sport event involvement likability identification support intention |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1450073/full |
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