Effect of Team Identification, Message Valence and Social Media on Sport Consumer Information Processing

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of media sources and message valence on individuals’ information processing by means of information processing perspective, and to examine the moderating effect of team identification on the media sources and message valence. A between-subject experimental design of 2 (positive message vs. negative message)×2 (traditional media vs. social media)×2 (high identification vs. low identification) was utilized with the participants randomly assigned into the treatments. The results showed that no significant differences in message credibility or attitude toward the message based on media sources. Furthermore, better message credibility and attitude toward the message revealed for the positive message than the negative message. Moreover, no moderating effect of team identification was found on the relationship between media sources and attitude toward message. Similarly, no moderating effect of team identification was found on the relationship between message valence and attitude toward message. These findings suggested that sport organizations are using social media and positive message to market or promote the sporting events or sport teams.