Brazilian Fans Get Bigger Rush From Pre-Game Ritual Than the Match
EKG data captured during a state final in Minas Gerais show shared anticipation generates stronger emotional synchrony than 90 minutes of play.
Overview
- Researchers fitted 17 supporters with heart rate monitors at a Minas Gerais cup final to compare emotional arousal before and during the match.
- Collective excitement peaked during the Rua de Fogo street ritual and only briefly surged higher when the team scored a goal.
- Anthropologist Dr. Dimitris Xygalatas of the University of Connecticut led the study to explore how rituals shape group emotions and identity.
- Published June 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the findings build on past research into sports fandom and physiological response.
- The results suggest that ritualized fan gatherings play a key role in driving the cultural and emotional impact of sporting events.