Dissertation Project

The Effect of Sports on Perceptions of Competition and Public Opinion

My dissertation examines the effect of watching sports on political attitudes. Sports are incredibly popular in the United States. In an age of media fragmentation, sports are the last genre of media that is widely consumed across parties. Sports contain a variety of messages about the nature of competition: That competition occurs on a level playing field, that winners deserve to win due to their superior ability and effort, that group relationships are zero-sum competitions, and that competition is entertaining and exciting. What are the influence of these messages on American public opinion?

I examine the influence of watching sports on attitudes and perceptions of competition, and in turn how those attitudes influence political attitudes such as acceptance of electoral losses, perceptions of group conflict, and support for a competitive capitalist economy. In doing so I contribute to research showing that even media that is not outwardly political can influence attitudes on political topics.