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Research linking superior athletic performance to uniform colors pervades psychological research for more than a decade now. The current archival research explored the performance of American collegiate basketball teams during the national annual tournament in a period spanning seven seasons (2012-18). Previous attempts to explore the effect were fraught with confounding variables (e.g., the home-field-advantage, relative endowments of resources). We failed to detect an effect and the results remained null when several colors were tested. Based on the findings it is reasonable to conclude that uniform colors do not exert substantial influence over winning in relatively long-duration low aggression team sports. Future research should take into account a targeted sport taxonomy in assessing whether the effect exists in other types of competitions., Author(s): Nadav Goldschmied [sup.1] , Juliana Lucena [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) San Diego, USA Hill and Burton (2005) in their Nature generative study brought the association of uniform color and [...]

Hockey is a sport known for its violent nature. Specifically, hockey fights have consistently been an integral part of the National Hockey League. Past research has demonstrated that players are likely to be involved in fighting as a mechanism to gain fan support, generate game momentum or enhance team camaraderie. However, fighting naturally has negative health ramifications. In the current study, we sought to investigate if players' involvement in hockey fights throughout their career was associated with shorter life spans. Previous mortality studies have not distinguished hockey fighting from other aggressive aspects of this sport (e.g., in game physical contact with other players). We conducted an archival study examining the frequency of hockey fighting during the 1957–1971 NHL seasons and player longevity. A Kaplan–Meier survival analysis log‐rank method and a subsequent Cox regression accounting for correlates showed no relationship between an elevated number of fights and a reduced lifespan. The lack of effect may indeed demonstrate a negligible influence on long‐term health consequences in the context of a generally very physical game. However, with the relatively moderate levels of fighting in the period studied we recommend that the association be explored also in a subsequent era when NHL fighting peaked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundbreaking research linking uniform colors and performance in sport has gained momentum in recent years demonstrating a superiority effect associated with certain colors, especially red, and an increase in aggression when in black. However, the findings are not uniform and some studies find no association. Our objective was to identify, compare, and disseminate a comprehensive list of studies associated with uniform colors and performance. This critical review identified 33 studies in sport, which explored the phenomenon and met the criteria for inclusion. We used the color-in-context theory (Elliot, A. J., & Maier, M. A. (2007). Color and psychological functioning. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(5), 250–254; Elliot, A. J., & Maier, M. A. (2014). Color psychology: Effects of perceiving color on psychological functioning in humans. Annual Review of Psychology, 65(1), 95–120) as the foundation for our analysis of the findings and, in turn, exposed some incoherence of some constructs and boundary conditions set by this framework. In the current work, we specifically distinguish between performance research and perception-only work and illuminate the differences as they pertain to theoretical underpinning. Based on present findings, we conclude that the evidence for uniform colors to influence the outcome of athletic competitions is weak and that more investigation is required to substantiate the effect, if it does exist. We conclude by proposing future avenues of research both as they pertain to features of the sports studied but also for the methodology utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Free-Throw Shot (FTS) in basketball is a unique uncontested closed skill undertaken during a stoppage in play at a uniform distance. In recent years, FTS has emerged as a prime target for stress research due to its highly controlled nature and its significant impact on the game outcome. In this narrative review, we appraise empirical research with a social-psychological focus on studying FTS success under pressure. This critical review comprises 44 empirical studies published up to June 2020. We first assess the importance of FTS within the game of basketball and study historical trends. We then elaborate on the unique psychological features of FTS. Subsequently, research on the undermining effects of pressure from both archival game studies and experiments is critically evaluated. We conclude with a discussion of performance in relationship to expertise and sources of threat. The review highlights current research deficiencies, provides recommendations for theoretical research and applied practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When people observe competitions, they are often drawn to figures that are seen as disadvantaged or unlikely to prevail. The present research tested the scope and limits of people's support for underdogs. The first two studies demonstrated, in the context of Olympic matches (Study 1) and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Study 2), that observers' support for a competitor increased when framing it as an underdog. The final two studies explored mechanisms underlying support for underdogs. Study 3 showed that participants attributed more effort to a team when they believed it to be an underdog, and perceptions of effort mediated liking. In Study 4, participants reading a hypothetical sporting event supported a team with a low probability of success and labeled it an underdog unless it had greater resources than an opponent, suggesting that low expectations by themselves do not engender support if positive outcomes are not seen as deserved. Keywords: underdog; justice; social identity; competition; schadenfreude; inequality

Efforts to research the link between uniform colours and performance in sport have gained momentum in recent years demonstrating a red superiority effect. The current investigation identified a gender gap in participation between laboratory experimental studies of performance, which are dominated by women participants, and archival game analysis research, which is almost exclusively conducted in elite men's sports. To address this disparity, we conducted the first dedicated exploration of uniform colours with women's American collegiate basketball teams during the national annual tournament (NCAA) in a period spanning eight seasons (2012–19). In contrast to the evidence from experimental research, we failed to detect an effect and the results remained null when several colours were tested and ranking was considered. Based on the findings, we conclude with mounting confidence that uniform colours do not exert influence over winning in relatively long-duration, low aggression team sports with substantial physical contact. We discuss the results in relationship to the colour-in-context theory (Elliot, A. J., & Maier, M. A. (2012). Colour-in-context theory. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 45, pp. 61–125). Academic Press.) and highlight its shortcomings pertaining to sex as a moderator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Icing is a common strategy used in American football during the last moments of a close game when a coach may ask for a time-out to allow an opposing kicker, who is about to attempt a decisive field-kick, an extended period of time possibly to contemplate the negative outcomes if he fails to score (i.e., rumination). Using archival data of pressure kicks from six consecutive National Football League seasons (2002-2008), a mixed-effects hierarchical linear model was applied. It was found that icing was successful in reducing scoring while other environmental factors such as experience, game location or game score were not associated with conversion success. In a secondary analysis it was demonstrated that if a time-out before the pressure kick is requested by the coaches of the kicking team, kickers are not subjected to the debilitating effects of icing. Theoretical and applied implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]