The Role of Causal Attributions in Sport Consumers' Emotions and Satisfaction Judgment

Abstract

We examined the role of causal attributions of sport consumers in the formation of emotions and satisfaction judgment. Participants were 165 students at a large university in the southeastern United States. Through a series of hierarchical regression analyses, their attribution processes were found to be an important antecedent of their consumption emotions. Specifically, internal causes that related to the game outcome (e.g., internal control and stability) had a significant positive impact on their feelings of pride and a significant negative effect on their shame, whereas external control had a significant positive impact on their anger and a significant negative effect on their feelings of gratitude. Thus, both internal control and stability appeared to be the most influential causal attribution dimensions in predicting consumer satisfaction with the outcome of a game. From a practical perspective, marketing campaigns emphasizing a sporting team's season-long stability may enhance sport consumers' satisfaction.