Researchers at the University of Waterloo conducted a study which found that hockey fanatics react differently during key moments in a hockey game versus how a more casual viewer takes things in.
“The broad aim of the study was to examine the extent to which brain activity, as captured by a brain imaging device, might differ between spectators who identify as being a highly-committed fan of a sport, compared to the more casual viewer,” professor Luke Potwarka told Global News.
To conduct the study, the researchers found undergrads who were more committed or more casual fans and had them watch a period of a hockey game from Europe in 2018 with a brain imaging device strapped to their head.
“Once the participants were in our lab, they were fitted with a functional near infrared spectroscopy brain imaging,” Potwarka said.
“It’s a non-invasive headband that just goes right over the forehead. And what the device does is it uses infrared light to detect blood flow in the medial prefrontal cortex.
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“Then we then monitored and collected real-time data as participants watched the first period, the 20 minutes of this 2018 European Hockey League game between the Cardiff Devils and the Nottingham Panthers.”
In a bit of a cruel twist, the lab rats were subjected to 20 minutes of scoreless hockey, but the researchers were not looking at goals but rather other portions of the game.
“Our research team really focused in on examining responses to two key moments during a previously recorded European hockey game: scoring chances and offensive faceoff opportunities,” Potwarka said.
“We found that more committed and passionate hockey fans had significantly more activation in the regions of the brain that are responsible for evaluating and judging social situations than more casual viewers. And surprisingly, this trend was not observed for scoring chances, so it was just the offensive faceoff.”
Adrian Safati, A PhD candidate at the university, said it was also a chance to test out the Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS).
“This is a more applied use of this neuroimaging technology. So in a way, it’s a proof of concept that we are able to detect physiological changes in the brain in response to key events during something like a sporting match,” he explained.
“And this could allow us to, in the future, try to understand different underlying mechanisms in attention and involvement in viewers watching the sport.”
Potwarka noted that this is just proof of concept as they move forward in a journey which could lead to a better understanding of fan engagement.
“I think the payoff, practically speaking, is we may have a better sense of what might actually drive non-casual fans or what types of things we could narrate or broadcast or produce sports in ways that may be more engaging for both sets of audiences,” the Waterloo prof said.
“So we may (see) some insights about what’s really happening here and what might people bring viewers in. Maybe there could be long-term implications for turning more casual fans into longer-term fans.”
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