LIVED EXPERIENCES OF BIASED UAAP VOLLEYBALL TEAM FANS IN

CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY

A Research Study Submitted to the

Faculty of Laboratory Science High School
College of Education, Cavite State University
Indang, Cavite

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for
Practical Research I

JEISON A. DOLORIDO
CEDRIC JUSTINE B. ENCARNACION
LEE ARIUS G. ERAÑA
JAN GABRIEL I. HERRERA
JAN WESLEY C. MORIDO
LEANNA FELIZE B. POLO

May 2018
 BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

Jeison A. Dolorido is the second child of William N. Dolorido and Virginia A.

Dolorido. He was born in Daet Camarines, Norte on October 8, 2000. He was currently

staying at Ph Lot 3 Blk 32 Spring town Villa, Brgy. Bukal, Tanza, Cavite. He finshed

elementary in General Trias Memorial Elementary School and graduated junior high school

in Gov. Ferrer Memorial National Highschool Main. He is currently studying as a grade 11

in Cavite State University - Laboratory Science High School taking Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Cedric Justine B. Encarnacion is the third child of Ferdinand M. Encarnacion and

Ma. Cecilia B. Encarnacion. He was born in Pasig, City on March 5, 2001. He was currently

staying at Trece Martires City, Cavite. He graduated elementary in Trece Martires City

Elementary School and finished junior high school at Trece Martires City National

Highschool – Main. He is currently studying as a grade 11 in Cavite State University -

Laboratory Science High School taking Science, Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics.

Lee Arius G. Eraña is the youngest of the three siblings of Arturo C. Eraña and

Preciosa G. Eraña. He was born in St. Raphael de Ocampo St. Indang, Cavite on November

19, 2000. He was currently staying at Kaytambog, Indang, Cavite. He finished elementary

education in Indang Central Elementary School Indang, Cavite and graduated junior high

ii
school at Cavite State University - Science High School. He is currently studying as a

Grade 11 student taking Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Jan Gabriel I. Herrera is an only child of Janice I. Herrera and Emerson N.

Herrera. He was born in Rosario, Cavite on October 26, 2000. He finished elementary in

Cavite State University - Child Development Center and graduated junior high school in

Cavite State University – Laboratory Science High School. He is currently studying as a

grade 11 in Cavite State University – Laboratory Science High School taking Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Jan Wesley C. Morido is the oldest child of Wesley D. Morido and Hermelina C.

Morido. He was born in Badoc, Ilocos Norte on August 11, 2000. He was currently staying

at Brgy. San Agustin, Blk. 23 L. 9 Trece Martires City, Cavite. He graduated elementary

in Trece Martires City Elementary School and graduated junior high school at Cavite State

University - Science High School. He is currently studying as a Grade 11 student taking

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Leanna Felize B. Polo is the oldest child of Jayson M. Polo and Nery Grace B.

Polo. She was born in De La Salle University Medical Center Dasmariñas, Cavite on

August 15,2000. She was currently living at Brgy. 4, Alfonso, Cavite. She graduated

elementary in Mater Carmeli Catholic School Inc. Alabat, Quezon and also graduated

junior high school at Mater Carmeli Catholic School Inc. He is currently studying as a

iii
Grade 11 student in Cavite State University - Laboratory Science High School taking

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers would like to express their deepest gratitude to those who helped

the researchers in making this research study possible:

To their thesis adviser and Research teacher, Professor Ana Ruth M. Andalajao, for

her guidance, teachings and suggestions until the completion of the study;

To their family, for their encouraging words, guidance, parenting advice, prayers,

moral and financial support that help the researchers fully accomplished their research

study;

To all the faculty members and staff of Cavite State University – Laboratory

Science High School, for their shared knowledge, contributions and important reminders;

To their classmates, 11-Masipag, for giving suggestions and helping through

sharing ideas in conducting the study;

Above all, the God Almighty, for, without Him, anything would not be successful

and possible to accomplish.

This piece of success is lovingly and sincerely dedicated to all of them.

JEISON A. DOLORIDO
CEDRIC JUSTINE B. ENCARNACION
LEE ARIUS G. ERAÑA
JAN GABRIEL I. HERRERA
JAN WESLEY C. MORIDO
LEANNA FELIZE B. POLO

v
 ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to view the lived experiences of biased UAAP

volleyball team fans under the set of college students in Cavite State University. The

following research questions helped guide the research study: 1.) How did UAAP

volleyball team fans select the team they will support? 2.) How did UAAP volleyball team

fans react following the loss or victory achieved towards fans of an opposing team? 3.)

What factors influence UAAP volleyball team fans to gain a biased perspective among

UAAP volleyball teams?

In the duration of the study, the researchers established a semi-structured interview

with the participants purposively sampled. The interview consisted of questions concerning

to their basis of selecting the team, their reaction following a major event involving their

affiliation, and their fan behavior affected by fandom-related phenomena. Thematic

analysis was used to interpret transcribed data gathered from the participants.

Results indicated five themes namely variation among fan perceptions, commonly

manifested fan behavior, effects of third-party volleyball team-related individuals to fans,

specific perspectives between fans, and utilization of methods to display affection towards

supported team. However, since the study focuses only in the experiences of UAAP

volleyball team fans within campus, the researchers suggest for further studies to explore

fans’ experiences within a greater scope.

vi
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA............................................................................................. ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ............................................................................................... v

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. vi

LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ ix

LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................... x

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1

Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................... 3

Objectives of the Study ........................................................................................ 4

Significance of the Study ..................................................................................... 4

Time and Place of the Study ................................................................................. 5

Scope and Limitations of the Study ...................................................................... 5

Definition of Terms .............................................................................................. 6

Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................... 7

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE .................................................................... 9

METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 19

Research Design ................................................................................................ 19

Sources of Data .................................................................................................. 20

vii
 Participants of the Study .................................................................................... 20

Sampling Technique .......................................................................................... 20

Data to be gathered ............................................................................................ 21

Data Analysis ..................................................................................................... 22

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................................... 23

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION .................................... 29

Summary ........................................................................................................... 29

Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 30

Recommendation ............................................................................................... 32

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 33

APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. 35

viii
 LIST OF TABLES

Number Name Page

1 Emerging themes among the experiences of sports fans .......................... 24

ix
 LIST OF APPENDICES

Letter Name Page

A. Approval letter ....................................................................................... 35

B. Informed consents for the participants ................................................... 36

C. Interviewer’s guide questions ................................................................. 41

D. Interview transcripts .............................................................................. 42

x
 INTRODUCTION

Opening Paragraphs

Fan culture, conventionally known as fandom, is an essential foundation of the

modern society’s structure as an organized network that travels parallel to the production

of media supporting fans and giving them chances to find other individuals that have

formed similar, strong connection (Harrison, 2014). A group of fans sharing interest around

some form of creative media can be described to a community with a parameter, a medium

that influences the basis for conformity and sociological norms of a group. Thus, the

parameter plays a central role in creating and maintaining bonds within the community.

Limiting the medium into sports, or into more specific sub concept of sports, lead the

researchers into sports fandom.

University volleyball, as the selected medium, has become a trend in the local sports

outlet. Most fans exhibit symbolic association with the media, creating up a community

and catalyzing cultural development. Nonetheless, the division of fans in different

volleyball teams provides the precursor for biased perception among individuals. Though

the culture formed has become a widely shared knowledge and practice for a relatively

homogeneous local community (Clammer, 2005), volleyball as the parameter becomes

further divided into clusters, the teams, in which fans develop various types of norms.

Hence, fandom development becomes nonlinear wherein the factors attributing to fan

biases play a major role.

Sport scientists have documented several biases reported by sport fans (Lantz,

2006). Though, as expected, it has been revealed that fans tend to perceive of and to

1
evaluate their favorite teams and players in an inaccurately positive fashion (Hastorf &

Cantril, 1954; Lau, 1984; Mann, 1974), it is significant to view fans as subjective

individuals, whereas the ends of their biased perception was triggered by some attributes

related to their identification with the team. Moreover, understanding how fans with high

degree of attachment invoke in-group favoritism to preserve their self-concept is similar to

understanding how modern individuals exhibit tribal behavior.

Tribalism, a way of thinking and behaving in which people shows social attachment

to a group, is a concept usually linked to social identity theory (Hogg & Abrams, 1988;

Tajfel, 1981; Tajfel & Turner, 1986) and anthropology. However, its connection in sports

fandom gains interest for the researchers since it indirectly contradicts participatory culture

as a generalized concept in which fans play the role of both consumers and producers of

some form of creative media (Jenkins, 2009). Sport fans, most of the time, attempt to

receive some type of glory despite the fact that they have done nothing tangible to bring

the supported team’s success (Hirt, Zillman, Erickson, & Kennedy, 1992). This behavior

defined as BIRGing, acronym for Basking in Reflected Glory (Posten, 1998), depicts how

fans becomes producers only by belief.

The satisfaction of the need to belong, which can be strong enough to affect

relationship perception with others (Gardner, Pickett, & Brewer, 2000), is ingrained to the

very existence of fandom itself. This becomes an unsystematic process, alongside with the

need for social recognition, socialization and symbolism associating some kind of sports

cult, through which tribal behavior has developed (Dionisio, Leal, & Moutinho, 2008).

People under this group may exhibit either BIRGing or ‘blasting’, a form of degrading and

criticizing opposing group, when the supported team is unsuccessful to preserve self-

2
esteem (Cialdini & Richardson, 1980). Thus, the presence of tribalism in sports fandom is

a challenging point for the researchers to view how fans become bias towards their own

affiliations.

Furthermore, most sports fandom studies focused more on thorough observations

in fan behaviors and existing conformity among fan clubs, and yet unable to individually

assess fans based on their own perspective. The research aims to qualitatively analyze lived

experiences of devoted volleyball fans, focusing on how each individual achieved a certain

level of confidence towards a supported team while validating the existence of serious team

affiliation bias. Through phenomenological approach, the research inquires not only the

participants’ behavior directed into volleyball as media of interest. Qualitative research

allows opportunity to view different bias perceptions of the fans related to volleyball team

affiliations.

Statement of the Problem

Generally, the researchers conduct the study to identify the lived experiences of

biased UAAP volleyball team fans toward the events affecting the team supported.

Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions:

1) How did UAAP volleyball team fans select the team they will support?

2) How did UAAP volleyball team fans react following the loss or victory achieved

towards fans of an opposing team?

3) What factors influence UAAP volleyball team fans to gain a biased perspective

among UAAP volleyball teams?

3
Objectives of the Study

The purpose of this study is to determine the lived experiences of biased UAAP

volleyball team fans toward the events affecting the team supported.

Specifically, this study aims to:

1) Determine how UAAP volleyball team fans choose the team they will support.

2) Determine the reaction of UAAP volleyball team fans towards an opposing team

following major outcomes affecting the team supported.

3) Identify factors influencing the gain of biased perspective among UAAP volleyball

teams of UAAP volleyball team fans.

Significance of the Study

This study has implications relative to researchers, sports fans, students, athletes

and sports analyst. Findings may further inform sports fans and assist them to understand

the conflicts of being biased to teams. Simons (2015) stated:

“A sports team is an expression of a fan’s sense of self. In all kinds of unconscious ways,

a fan mirrors the feelings, actions and even hormones of the players. There are benefits to

this: not just self-esteem but pride, identity and belonging. There is also a downside where

fans are quite biased towards himself and his in-group. Sports fans sees things in a same

way partisans do in political, cultural and scientific controversies.”

Discovering experiences of sports fans biased on their respective team may provide

further analysis on why biasing could yield more negative consequences than positive

outcomes in the world of sports. Learning about how sports fans being biased on their

preferred team could be of importance. Investigating how sports fans biasing of teams may

4
pave the way for future discovery by qualitatively acknowledging experiences relating the

issues and conflicts between biased and unbiased fans in sports.

Sports fan, as a person who is enthusiastically devoted to preferred sports, will

benefit from reviewing the findings associated with this research. Exposure to the themes

that emerge from the lived experiences of biased sports fans may help to unify and further

motivate the opposing individuals.

Time and Place of the Study

The study is conducted in the duration of the second semester of the academic year

2017-2018 in Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study focuses on the lived experiences of volleyball fans under the subset of

Cavite State University students as of the second semester of A.Y. 2017-2018. The

subjected phenomenon is the famous seasonal rivalry of fans between Ateneo Lady Eagles

and De La Salle Lady Spikers of the UAAP Volleyball teams. Fans of other volleyball

teams, sports, or other creative media are not in the scope of the study. The age of

participants would be under the stage of early-adulthood (18-24 years old).

5
Definition of Terms

Sports fan culture refers to a conventional term “fandom” which is a network of

shared interest among a group of individuals around a specific sports-related medium.

Fans pertains to self-proclaimed individuals sharing interest through displaying

deep affection towards a creative medium.

Sports fans a supporter who is enthusiastically devoted to sports. The fans of a

particular team or person constitute its fanbase or fandom. A sports fan can be an enthusiast

for a particular athlete, team, sport, or all of organized sports as a whole.

Favoritism, sometimes known as in-group favoritism, or in-group bias, refers to a

pattern of favoring members of one's in-group over out-group members. This can be

expressed in evaluation of others, in allocation of resources, and in many other ways. This

has been researched by psychologists, especially social psychologists, and linked to group

conflict and prejudice.

Hooliganism is a violent type of fan reaction which includes fans displays

displeasure toward a particular incident, player, or team may be met by fans with booing,

shouting of expletives, and sometimes throwing of objects onto the field.

Tribalism is a form of isolation to a fan group in which individuals involved

attempt in various ways to display affection or to protect the team supported the same way

they conserve their self-image.

Bias refers to a behavior of sport fans in which they tend to perceive the team they

are supporting to be better (or to cost more worth) compared to other teams (or an opposing

team) of the same sport.

6
 BIRGing, an acronym for Basking in Reflected Glory, pertains to a behavior in

which fans claim to be in a team whenever it achieves victory.

CORFing, an acronym for Cutting off Reflected Failure, refers to a fan’s tendency

to maintain distance from a supported team following its loss.

Theoretical Framework

“Social identity theory” depicts how identification with another person’s success

enhances one’s evaluation. Social identity is the sense of an individual member as part of

a group. Sociologist described social identity as an event where an individual understand

who they are and what they do.

In an article written by Merritt Posten (1998), different behaviors are commonly

exhibited by fans of sports teams depending on the outcome of an event, especially a

famous sports event held in a community. A study about the phenomena labeled as

BIRGing (Basking in Reflected Glory) and CORFing (Cutting off Reflected Failure) was

conducted by Cialdini et al. (1976). Results states that most fans tend to act on a common

behavior – BIRGing – whenever the team supported achieves victory. Fans appear to claim

victory (or the glory from the victory) despite their lack of effort to achieve success (Hirt

et al., 1992). This is analogous to a biased phenomenon in which sports team fans ridicules

opposing team of their favored team and claiming the team’s victory as their own. When

a person’s public image is threatened, the tendency to BIRG is even stronger, and BIRGing

becomes an important impression management technique to counter any threats to self-

esteem (Lee, 1985).

7
 On the contrary, fans tend to do CORfing when the team supported suffer a loss.

This refers to an event in society wherein a group of fans attempts to distance themselves

from the team as far as possible following their loss (Cialdini & Richardson, 1980). The

closer the identification to the team and the degree of commitment by the fan, the greater

the risk the fan has of suffering a loss in self-esteem if their team has lost.

The phenomenon is also subjected to another tendency called “blasting” (a kind of

CORFing associated when someone feels that their pride is threatened by the opposing

team) wherein fans criticize the winning team when their favored team loses. These fans

want to avoid any negative evaluations by others in relation to the team that was

unsuccessful.

The different levels of commitment that a fan might have towards a team dictate

the degree to which he or she can distance him or herself from that team when failure

occurs. If a fan is strongly allied, the social identity theory states that it will be hard for

them to distance themselves, and therefore, avoiding the threat to their self-esteem, the fans

must attribute the loss to external cues of the situation but not the team itself.

Hence, such scenario is observable to fans during a result of a sports event and to

social media featuring fans’ reaction after a loss or a win.

8
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Fan culture, or conventionally coined as fandom, describes how societies

accumulate shared recreation of an aspect of popular culture. The concept itself can be

generalized into participatory cultures which involve fans playing the role of both

consumers and producers of some form of creative media. Participatory culture can be

defined specifically as one that composes of relatively low barriers to artistic expression

and civic engagement; strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations with others;

some type of informal mentorship in which the most experienced members pass along their

knowledge to novices; members who believe their contributions matter; members who feel

some degree of social connection with one another and care about other members’ opinions

about their contributions (Jenkins et al. 2009).

According to Henry Jenkins, participatory culture is contrasted with consumer

culture in which fans “poach” from popular media, converting ideas from the text through

rereading them in creative ways for their own convenience. Furthermore, the theory of pop

culture suggests that rather than being rather “cultural dupes, social misfits, and mindless

consumers,” media fans can be understood as “active producers and manipulators of

meaning”. Fan interaction becomes a community due to continuous social activity in

which members can prescribe and critic ideas around a similar topic of interest.

Moreover, participatory culture can be a form of resistance. It is suggested that

“fandom’s very existence represents a critique of conventional forms of consumer culture”

while also providing “a space within which fans may articulate their specific concerns

about sexuality, gender, racism, colonialism, militarism, and forced conformity” (Jenkins

9
et al. 2009). In the case, participating members act as both consumer and producer of the

media, as well as critique of the creative material.

Fan culture can be further divided into levels called the geek hierarchy, a flowchart

created by Lore Sjöberg in an attempt to rank particular type of fan more or less behavior

appropriate. The existence of fandom hierarchies, which is dynamic yet leads to judgment,

invokes fans’ commitment to benefit themselves, though, “too strong an investment is

threatening even as that very affect is what centrally defines fans and geeks”(Busse

2006:79). Defining a place for oneself in fan culture considers factors including

professionalism, consumerism, expertise, and commitment.

Overview of psychological perceptions of sports fans

According to Eric Simons (2015), fans expresses their self-concept with the team

they are supporting in a way that fans feel a sense of self with this group. The identity of a

fan becomes confused mentally, though the affected may not be conscious, with the identity

of the supported team. Hence, it is not an obnoxious affectation when a supporter uses the

word “we”; it is a literal confusion in the brain about what is “me” and what is “the team.”

In all kinds of unconscious ways, a fan mirrors the feelings, actions and even hormones of

the players. Self-esteem also rides on the outcome of the game and the image of the players.

Moreover, there are benefits including self-esteem, pride, identity, and belonging.

On the contrary, fans may be quite biased toward himself or herself and his or her in-group.

If a fans’ relationship with a sports team makes a brain think that the sports team is them,

and they are the others, and they are all together, then it also applies numerous biases to

10
the actions of the team. When the team is accused of form of trickery (skullduggery) with

the ball pump, it is the fan’s instinct to explain and rationalize (Simons, 2015).

Sports fans see things that way for the same reasons partisans do in political,

cultural and scientific controversies – a reflection of natural social human behavior. Fans

are consistent in the way they weigh evidence and assign blame (Simons, 2015).

Sports may have no cosmic significance, in other words, but to their followers, they

matter. As such, it’s entirely rational for a fan to defend his or her identity against outside

attack, to seek an extra level of proof in allegations that might harm you, and to forgive or

explain the behavior of in-group members (if intellectually dishonest) (Simons, 2015).

Social categorization in sports fan affiliation bias

To maintain adaptive functioning in a society, people must be categorized into

groups to reduce the complexity of the community (Allport, 1954). Sports fan culture

represents the identification of some common attribute or characteristics among individuals

in such way that the amount of information to be dealt with is greatly reduced (Hamilton,

1981). Such categorization provides a sensible and useful strategy to simplify the society

the individuals belong.

However, the simplification phenomenon has the tendency to result in

consequences. Fans tend to be biased in-grouped. Suppose that two fans of different (or

opposing) sports teams possess several similar traits or interests, there exists an intuitive

perception in which one identifies himself as significantly different from the other

(Schlabach, 1998). Moreover, categorization may also create a basis for ethnocentrism;

that is, the belief that an individual’s own group is superior to other groups.

11
 Thus, sports fandom causes in-group, out-group bias in which people tend to put

themselves “in-group” and all other people are in the “out-group” (Devine, 1996). The

behavior greatly affects fan audience’s attitude towards other team’s fans. During a game,

fans of each team seldom or do not socialize with the opposing fans. Sports fans of any

kind favor their team’s fans over the other team’s fans in a way they treated the opposing

fans as enemies. The separation that contributes to the favoritism of the in-group over the

out-group results to the segregation of seating arrangements during matches (Schlabach,

1998).

Furthermore, suppose that categorization leads to increased attraction of in-group

members and devaluation of out-group members, a belief called intergroup bias, wherein

one’s own group is better than all other groups, develops. Though social categorization is

arbitrary and unrelated to psychological characteristics, the phenomenon can remain

established (Schlabach, 1998).

In a study conducted by Howard and Rothbart (1980), subjects were randomly

assigned to one of two different groups in which they did not know anyone. They were

then presented with a mix of positive and negative information about their group, the in-

group, and the other group, the out-group. Subjects had more favorable expectations about

in-group members and more negative expectations about out-group members, even though

they did not know the members of either group personally. This demonstrates the minimal

group paradigm, which shows why something as meaningless as being a sports fan can

lead to such discrimination against fans of opposing teams.

Language plays a vital role in the development of intergroup bias. Pronouns such

as “we” or “they”, and “us” and “them” help emphasize favoritism of an in-group towards

12
itself, hence, emphasizing in-group, out-group bias (Schlabach, 1998). The mere

categorization of people into groups leads people to the processing of information about

in-groups and out-groups in ways that cause intergroup differences to appear legitimate

and justified (Hamilton & Trolier, 1986). A sports fan tends to see the similarities in

positive traits among member of his in-group. Differences between them are accentuated

when they are favorable to the in-group, but are minimized if they are favorable to the out-

group (Brewer & Kramer, 1985). Therefore, there exist more positive opinion of the in-

group over the out-group.

Moreover, categorization further results to fans’ perception that out-group members

as being similar in their characteristics despite the presence of individuality. Out-group

homogeneity effect states that out-group members are not only viewed as being different

from the in-group, but also seen as being more interchangeable with each other. Aside from

social categorization, the lack of contact between opposing fans displays the other groups

of fans as being homogeneous (Schlabach, 1998). In this way, an in-group member can

think of specific representatives from their group, but they think more abstractly of out-

groups (Judd & Park, 1988).

Effects of reflected glory or failure in the degree of fan tribalism

The pre-existence of the coined “tribalism”, referred in popular cultural terms to a

way of thinking or behaving in which people are loyal to their social group, can be found

initiated in the fans’ mentality. In the norms of sports fan culture, a fan may not be a

producer of the media but behaves like one. Suppose that the sports team supported by

“true” fans achieves victories, it is more likely that they will wear sports-related apparel

13
similar to the team’s supplies and they will use first-person pronouns to describe victories

e.g. “Our offense was great today.” (Cialdini, Borden, Thorne, Marcus, Freeman, & Sloan,

1976). It can be inferred that the fan individual believes to offer contribution to the team at

some measures.

The described behavior defined in social identity theory as BIRGing (Posten, 1998),

as acronym for Basking in Reflected Glory, which is conventionally done when a person,

more likely a fan, attempted to receive some type of glory despite the fact that he has done

nothing tangible to bring the team’s success (Hirt, Zillman, Erickson, & Kennedy, 1992).

Suppose that we see a group of fans as a single individual, tribalism can be either

maintained or enhanced effectively among fans of a victorious team since self-esteem is

being preserved and increased at some measures. When a person’s public image is

threatened, the tendency to BIRG is even stronger, and BIRGing becomes an important

impression management technique to counter any threats to self-esteem (Lee, 1985).

The unequal mindset of BIRGing fans results to various types of self-commitment,

though some may exhibit denial, for the purpose of one’s convenience. A study (Dionisio,

Leal, & Moutinho, 2008) intending to identify the existence of tribal behavior in football

fans and the impact of this tribalism on the consumption of brands associated with the club

confirmed football‐devoted supporters have a kind of cult with their club and it is possible

to distinguish several distinct fan typologies varying with the level of fan commitment.

The denial, nonetheless, can be observed directly inclined towards the sports team

supported. Devoted fans assume an effective knowledge of club association with some

brands but they do not manifest an effective preference towards them. The existence of

tribalism is evident as the researchers observed the associative behavior of football fans

14
influenced by affiliation through the need for social recognition, socialization and

symbolism (Dionisio et al., 2008). Fandom in this case is necessary to satisfy the need to

belong, which can be so strong that it affects their perceptions of their interactions with

others (Gardner, Pickett, & Brewer, 2000).

On the other hand, if the “true” group of fans supported a losing team, their

tendency is to wear their sports-related apparel with less frequency compared to a

victorious team. The supporters also tend to use third-person pronouns to describe the

condition of the events following the lost e.g. “They suffered a lot from the foul.” (Cialdini

et al., 1976). The behavior can be pertained to a phenomenon called CORFing, an acronym

for Cutting Off Reflected Failure, in which fans may have the tendency to distance himself

or herself from the team following the failure depending to his or her degree of commitment

(Posten, 1998).

The existence of these behaviors results to a biased mentality among opposing fans

and unstable self-esteem among the supporting groups. Tribalism can be reduced if the fans

intended to distance themselves as far as possible to the losing team, which is a mechanism

to avoid any possible negative evaluations by others in relation to the team that was

unsuccessful (Cialdini & Richardson, 1980). However, the disappearance of tribalism is

not imminent since sport fans with a higher degree of commitment will waste no time in

associating with the team once again as soon as the team is victorious (Hirt et al., 1992).

Furthermore, CORFing can retain the level of conformity in a fan group by

“blasting”. The form of indirect self-enhancement invokes degradation and criticisms

towards opposing victorious fans to help preserve self-esteem from the supporting

unsuccessful fans as soon as they receive negative information regarding the results.

15
Therefore, if an individual wish to look good to the observers, one option available is to

make those with whom they are negatively connected with look bad: to publicly ‘blast’ the

opposition (Cialdini et al., 1980).

Consequences of a sport event greatly impacts fans individually in terms of their

behavior, preferences, mentality and self-esteem. One can conclude that a fan supporting a

victorious team tends to create the belief of contributing to their success for the purpose of

feeling belonged, otherwise, they usually distance themselves for self-preservation. Hence,

variation in the degree of tribalism is directly affected by the reflected results.

Role of deindividuation to fan behaviors

Suppose that a major event of a sport occurs, outcomes affecting fans’ behaviors

results to their loss of self-identification. According to social identity theory, fans tend to

identify themselves with the team they are supporting. Hence, there must exist some sort

of response at some measures among fans affected by an occurrence involving the team of

their interest.

Deindividuation represents a vital contribution to the behavior of in-grouped fans,

in which they undergo a state of loss of self-awareness, a sense of diffused responsibility

and decreased concern about how others may evaluate their attitude (Mann, et al., 1982).

In this case, fans abandon normal restraints and inhibitions to ethics. Thus, they react with

increased responsivity towards situational forces resulting to anarchical behavior e.g.

booing, jeering, riot (Perry, 1998).

Physical anonymity influences deindividuation among fans, that is, large groups

appeared to conceal identities of its consisting members. Attitudes of particular individuals

16
cannot be evaluated when the crowd they belong displays a common action since it is

impossible to know whether the individual participated or not (Perry, 1998).

This results to the sense of diffused responsibility of fans. When an individual alone

encounters a responsibility in a social setting, he would normally assume accountability

for his actions (Myer, 1996). However, suppose that a group is present around that

individual, there exist a decreased sense of responsibility since all members assumed

someone would take burden for it (Darley & Latane, 1968). Therefore, there is the

involvement of a loss of self-awareness (Diener, 1979), which is the degree an individual’s

attention focuses on the self, resulting to a comparison of oneself to an ethical standard

(Tesser, 1995). When spectators become deindividuated, their behaviors becomes

inconsistent with their attitudes. Fans tend to act with the group they currently belong

without the process of comparison of themselves to their assigned standards (Perry, 1998).

Moreover, deindividuation will not happen without social arousal (Diener, 1976).

In a case of sports fans, events with the involvement of their teams provide a clear

demonstration of social arousal. The degree of arousal varies accordingly to the team’s

payoffs and intense events affecting the creative medium. At this point, deindividuated

behavior appears in which there is great likelihood fans will display a form of aggressive

conformity (Prentice-Dunn & Rogers, 1980), when the crowds’ normal restraints on

behavior, long-term norms, self-monitoring and self-awareness is no longer present

(Diener, 1980).

17
Synthesis:

Two main factors affects the attitude and behavior of sports fans: the number of

participants sharing interests towards a creative sports medium, and the consequences of

the major events involving the team they are currently “affiliated”. Suppose that the

number of fans supporting a single team exceeds an average group, individuals tend to lose

(or to diffuse) their self-identity and become one with the group. Hence, any act that the

group initiates, there is the possibility the individual with follow through the act for the

sake of conformity.

Large number of participants also participate in the occurrence of in group, out

group bias. This accounts to the fact that the level of merged identities of fans sharing a

similar medium of interest is directly related to the number of fans. Consequently, the

merged identity provides high likelihood of favoritism of individuals within the group

resulting to social categorization.

On the other hand, major events involving team affiliations greatly affect the

perception of a fan. Individuals may either BIRG or CORF following a team’s victory or

loss respectively. Moreover, the results of an event is related to the self-esteem of fans with

in-depth affection towards the team.

18
 METHODOLOGY

This section discusses the methods and techniques executed by the researchers in

sampling participants, data selection, data gathering and data analysis through a structural

approach.

Research design

The purpose of the study is to explore how UAAP volleyball team fans in Cavite

State University experiences and understands the subject of their favoritism towards the

team they are supporting involving major sports team-related events. Since the research is

focused on the lived experiences of a certain group of individuals, subjective responses and

perception are the main concerns of the researcher instead of quantifiable data. Whereas

quantitative research evolved from earlier postpositive thinking and seeks to define

knowledge through cause and effect perspectives, qualitative research has emerged more

recently with links to a constructivist view (Creswell, 2003). Hence, the assertion by itself

claims meaning is developed both socially and historically with individual experiences

holding a capacity for multiple subjective interpretations (Schuemann, 2014).

Specifically, the researchers select phenomenology to help comprehend the nature

of the experiences of the participants in every themes. According to Creswell (1998),

phenomenology is used extensively in research emanating from sociology, psychology,

health sciences, and education since general and universal meanings are derived through

this approach. The research seeks to use a view of the participants' episodic experiences as

19
a tool to analyze factors affecting fans' biased reaction towards a major sports event

qualitatively.

Sources of Data

Responses of the selected participants are the major sources of data used in the

study. Observable significant behavior of fans during the process of data gathering also

apply as additional information for qualitative analysis. Since the informants are confirmed

to experience being fans of their respective teams (or assumed to have high degree of self-

concept towards their supported teams), the responses gathered are used as valid primary

references.

Participants of the study

Three UAAP volleyball team fans are selected as participants for this approach:

two different fan affiliates of either Ateneo Lady Eagles or De La Salle Lady Spikers, and

a neutral fan of both opposing teams. Fans sampled are subsets of Cavite State University

students as of the second semester of A.Y. 2017-2018 under the age of early adulthood

(18-24 years old). Moreover, participants selected may vary suppose that first-picked

UAAP volleyball team fans have not retained specified criteria for research.

Sampling Technique

Considering that the study focuses on the lived experiences of biased UAAP

volleyball team fans, proportionality between samples and population is not the main

concern. Hence, heterogeneous purposive sampling is selected to maximize validity of the

20
study over the affected population and to provide as much insight as possible into the event

or phenomenon under the examination (Crossman, 2018).

Furthermore, the basis for sampling involves the satisfaction of a nominated

individual in the criteria presented by the researchers. Researchers in a qualitative design

seek interpretive information from a participant sample as small as one individual and up

saturation can typically be attained with two to 10 participants. Thus, the initial number of

participants to be interviewed was three in which two individuals are distinct fans of the

opposing teams while the one left will be a controlled fan wherein he supports either or

neither of the involved UAAP volleyball team. The researchers suggest an additional

participant independent of the results of the study to test the validity of the interviewer’s

inquiries. Nonetheless, unless informational research saturation has been attained, the

researchers are ready to broaden up their sample size to further clarify emerging data

(Strauss & Corbin, 1998).

Data to be gathered

Data collection process occurred through interviews containing inquiries regarding

the lived experiences of sports fans. Participants were asked to attend an interview

scheduled for approximately 5-30 minutes. According to Van den Berg (2005),

interviewing is a particularly effective technique for collecting data about the lived

experiences of an individual. Hence, a semi-structured one-on-one or face-to-face

interview was considered to be done with the participants.

During the appointed interview, participants were first asked to sign an informed

consent validating their participation in the study. The consent contained the information

21
and confidentiality given to the participants for them to understand the nature of the

research. Suppose that the interview progresses, open-ended questions will be asked by the

interviewer, in which the interviewer may ask follow-up questions in order to saturate

information gathered. Verbal responses by the participants will be tape recorded and

transcribed verbatim.

The researchers use semi-structured interview as a tool for data gathering. Verbal

responses are recorded in a transcript along with any observable minor behaviors for data

analysis.

Data Analysis

Analysis of data will be done suppose that the researchers have collected sufficient

data between and within participants. Data collected from the interviews are analyzed using

interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) under thematic coding. The process

involve recording or identifying passages of text or images that are linked by a common

theme or idea allowing you to index the text into categories and therefore establish a

“framework of thematic ideas about it” (Gibbs, 2007). Since the study focuses on personal

experiences, the method produces an account of lived experience in its own terms rather

than one prescribed by pre-existing theoretical preconceptions and it recognizes that this is

an interpretative endeavor as humans are sense-making organisms (Osborn & Smith,

2015).

22
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A thorough reading and analysis of the interview transcripts gathered from the

participants resulted into several interpretations classified into five themes discussed in this

section namely variation among fan perceptions, commonly manifested fan behavior,

effects of third-party volleyball team-related individuals to fans, specific perspectives

between fans, and utilization of methods to display affection towards supported team.

Participants of the study

The researchers identified three participants in the study under the following

pseudonym in correspondence to the volleyball team they are supporting: Ateneo, La Salle,

and Neutral.

Ateneo is a middle-aged male fan studying a course under College of Sports,

Physical Education and Recreation (CSPEAR) in Cavite State University. During the

interview, the participant insisted he is a fan of Ateneo Lady Eagles in which the team

supported placed third in the latest season of UAAP Women’s Volleyball Championship.

La Salle is an active middle-aged male UAAP Women’s Volleyball fan studying

Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in English under College of Education (CEd) in

Cavite State University. La Salle Lady Spikers, the team he is currently supporting, was

considered the champion in the latest season of UAAP Women’s Volleyball

Championship. Recently, the researchers have observed the participants participation

towards the sports medium itself.

23
 Neutral is an active middle-aged male UAAP Volleyball fan studying Bachelor in

Sports and Recreational Management under CSPEAR in Cavite State University. During

the process of data gathering, the participant insisted that he is only a fan of the events

concerning UAAP and the sports medium itself, thus, he has supported no specific teams

presently. Moreover, he is an active player of volleyball in the campus.

Emerging Themes

Table 1. Emerging themes among the experiences of sports fans

SUPERORDINATE SUBTHEME ILLUSTRATIVE TEXTS

Variation among fan Fan basis for “Kase noong panahon pa ni Alyssa Valdez
perceptions UAAP volleyball e... parang ano pa... parang ang sarap nung
teams feeling na pag nakikita mong pumalo si
Alyssa Valdez na mas lalo kang na-
eenganyong manood. Yung “Phenom”
kasi, yung salitang “Phenom” na ibinansag
sa kanya is more on nagtatak sakin.”
(Ateneo)

“Kase meron silang… magandang

volleyball program and nung simula akong
nanood ng UAAP, sila talaga yung
naabutan kong very dominant na team sa
UAAP.” (La Salle)

“Unang-una baka mamaya nandon yung

love ones diba? Or ah parents or nandon
yung nagmomotivate sa kanila para ano
dahil nakapasok sila sa volleyball team na
yon or naging players sila don.” (Neutral)

“Kung bakit nila sinusuportahan, siguro

ano nalang uhmm… paiksiin ko nalang,
kasi dahil nagagalingan sila don sa team na
yon.” (Neutral)

24
 Evaluation of fans “Ganoon pa rin naman ah malakas pa rin
towards volleyball naman ang... kung tutuusin ang Ateneo
teams kung ganun man... para sa akin malakas pa
rin ang Ateneo. Eh kaso nga lang,
nagsupport na ako sa La Salle kase mas
malakas na ang La Salle kung iyon ang
ibig mong sabihin.”
(Ateneo)

“Kino-commend ko pa rin yung mga

nagawa nilang maganda doon sa place nila
pero as well as napo-point out ko din yung
mga weak points nila… ano yan eh…
constructive criticism tapos magagamit
nila iyon to improve their team.” (La Salle)

Commonly Non-hostile “Kasi ‘pag fan ka, ‘pag talo, talo. ‘Pag
manifested fan attitude towards panalo, panalo. Ta’s hindi ka nakikipag-
behavior opposing/other away sa ibang fans.” (La Salle)
UAAP volleyball
teams “Lahat ng players ay lumalakas tapos lahat
din ng teams nag-iimprove so ‘pag talo…
yung wala na’ng maraming reasons. ‘Pag
talo is… hindi talaga para sa kanila yung
game.” (La Salle)

“Siyempre masaya. Sino ba namang hindi

magiging masaya? Ang saya-saya talaga.
Tapos ano… asaran lang ganoon sa
classroom.” (La Salle)
Optimistic fan “Sobrang saya yung tatalon ka sa bahay
reaction towards niyo tapos sasabihin mo, ‘Yoohoo!’ yung
supported team gaganun ka. Parang yung sobrang saya
glory mo... na hindi mo maipaliwanag ng
maayos pero yung saya mo is nandoon.”
(Ateneo)

“Kapag panalo o kaya every point lang na

makuha nila, maingay kasi ako manood ng
UAAP, talagang palakpak ako kung
palakpak, natalon pa nga ako eh tapos
sigaw ako ng sigaw sa bahay tapos
uhmm… yung way ko… ano… nagti-
tweet lang ako sa kanila.” (La Salle)

25
 Fan reaction “Tinatanong pa ba iyon edi iiyak ka.
towards supported Malulungkot ka syempre pero dapat
team failure masaya ka lang kasi hindi naman ikaw
yung naglalaro eh... dapat an o ka lang...
da-dapat no hate just love.” (Ateneo)

“Dati kasi sobra akong affected ‘pag talo

yung team ko pero ngayon… lahat ng
players ay lumalakas tapos lahat din ng
teams nag-iimprove so ‘pag talo… hindi
talaga para sa kanila yung game.” (La
Salle)

“Malungkot lalo na siyempre Ateneo diba

yung kanilang rival. Dati UST and FEU,
pero this past seven years, ano… Ateneo
yung rival talaga nila tapos ‘pag natatalo
sila, siyempre malungkot pero may second
round pa naman.” (La Salle)

Capability to react “Ganoon pa rin naman ah malakas pa rin

in the perception naman ang... kung tutuusin ang Ateneo
of the opposing kung ganun man... para sa akin malakas pa
team rin ang Ateneo. Eh kaso nga lang,
nagsupport na ako sa La Salle kase mas
malakas na ang La Salle.” (Ateneo)

“Siguro malulungkot ako kasi hindi

nakaabot sa finals yung Ateneo nitong
nakaraang season and siguro…
madidismaya din and… as well as…
happy pa rin kasi nag-third sila pero
siyempre yung history na nagawa nila na
six times na sunud-sunod yung finals
appearance nila together with La Salle,
parang nasira yung trend so malungkot.”
(La Salle)

Effects of third-party Perspective of “Siyempre masaya kasi nanalo e wala

volleyball team- non-supporting naman sigurong nanalo yung team na
related individuals to UAAP volleyball malungkot diba? Masaya siguro ahh
fans fan towards rival syempre nanalo yung team nila, syempre
teams ikaw ba naman fan ka nagpapakihirap
kang magcheer sa kanila tapos kapag

26
 nanalo di ka magiging masaya. Siyempre
dapat masaya ka lagi.” (Neutral)

“Siguro ano sasabihin ko “better luck next

time” hahaha, para sakin ha kasi sa larong
sport may winner tsaka may loser.”
(Neutral)

Fan reactions “Naiinis ako kasi hindi naman sila yung

towards third-party naglalaro, bakit sila mambabash – I
bashing mean... wala naman silang magagawa
kundi manood lang...” (La Salle)

"Hindi kasi sila fans… mga ano lang

sila… mga bandwagon… yung mga bago
pa lang sila na natututo sa volleyball, mga
bago pa lang silang nakakahiligan yung
volleyball and bago pa lang silang
nagsusupport ng UAAP tapos yung mga
bashing kasi out of nowhere lang tapos
minsan binabash nila na magkakaaway, na
pinag-aaway nila yung mga players pero in
real life yung players naman yung
magkakaibigan so ang nagpapalala lang
talaga ng mga situation ay yung fans.” (La
Salle)

“Siguro aawayin ko yung haha aawayin ko

yung nambash kasi syempre ah wala kasi
in a proper way, kung baga hindi mo alam
ang nararamdaman nya.” (Neutral)

Specific perspective Identification of “Yung bashing kasi… nangyayari siya

between fans bandwagon kapag walang enough knowledge yung…
individuals hindi kasi sila fans… mga ano lang sila…
mga bandwagon… yung mga bago pa lang
sila na natututo sa volleyball, mga bago pa
lang silang nakakahiligan yung volleyball
and bago pa lang silang nagsusupport ng
UAAP.” (La Salle)

27
 Use of first-person “Kapag panalo yung team ko tapos yung
point of view in team nung mga… ano… kaklase ko is
fan statements hindi nananalo.” (La Salle)

Utilization of Awareness to the “Happy pa rin kasi nag-third sila pero

methods to display current siyempre yung history na nagawa nila na
affection towards issues/events six times na sunud-sunod yung finals
supported team concerning the appearance nila together with La Salle,
creative medium parang nasira yung trend.” (La Salle)

“Eh kaso nga lang, nagsupport na ako sa

La Salle kase mas malakas na ang La
Salle.”
(Ateneo)

Acceptance of “Yun nga sabi ko nga no hate just love

Reflected failure edi... masaya para sa nanalo.” (Ateneo)

“Kasi ‘pag fan ka, ‘pag talo, talo. ‘Pag

panalo, panalo. Ta’s hindi ka nakikipag-
away sa ibang fans.” (La Salle)

“Pero ngayon, ano kasi, lahat ng players

ay lumalakas tapos lahat din ng teams
nag-iimprove so ‘pag talo… ano… yung
wala na’ng maraming reasons. ‘Pag talo
is… hindi talaga para sa kanila yung
game.”
(La Salle)

Direct methods of “Pag ka may laro ang Ateneo, hindi

expressing support pwedeng hindi ako manonood, ganun,
pero hindi ako nakakapunta sa mismong
mall, sa mismong venue, pero nanonood
ako sa TV basta may laro ang Ateneo.”
(Ateneo)

“Yung way ko… ano… nagtu-tweet lang

ako sa kanila.” (La Salle)

“Siguro ano kapag ka from the beginning

hanggang sa championship nandon yun
mga fan na yon diba, kung baga nandon
silang lahat, all out support.” (Neutral)

28
 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This section presents the summary and conclusion of the study, as well as the

recommendation given by the researchers to the future researchers or students which can

be used as references for their study.

Summary

The study was conducted in Cavite State University covering the duration of the

whole second semester A.Y. 2017-2018. Interpretative phenomenological approach was

used as the research design to view the lived experiences of biased UAAP volleyball team

fans under the set of college students of the university. The following research questions

helped guide the research study: 1.) How did UAAP volleyball team fans select the team

they will support? 2.) How did UAAP volleyball team fans react following the loss or

victory achieved towards fans of an opposing team? 3.) What factors influence UAAP

volleyball team fans to gain a biased perspective among UAAP volleyball teams?

In the duration of the study, the researchers established a semi-structured interview

with the participants purposively sampled. The interview consisted of questions concerning

to their basis of selecting the team, their reaction following a major event involving their

affiliation, and their fan behavior affected by fandom-related phenomena. Thematic

analysis was used to interpret transcribed data gathered from the participants.

Results indicated five themes namely variation among fan perceptions, commonly

manifested fan behavior, effects of third-party volleyball team-related individuals to fans,

specific perspectives between fans, and utilization of methods to display affection towards

supported team.

29
Conclusion

Generally, the study concluded that volleyball team fans have in-depth affection

towards their supported team through their experiences. After thorough analysis of the

results and interpretations, the research arrived into the following several particular

inferences and conclusions:

1. Fans have distinct basis for selecting the team supported. Results gathered

indicates the influence of star players and volleyball program towards the

team selection of individuals. Furthermore, neutral fans are partly accurate

in the perspective of team fans’ preferences. According to them, skillsets of

an individual player or a group in the volleyball team is required to maintain

fandom from a fan. They added that personal affection and direct affiliation

of the team motivates an individual, hence, supporting the involved

volleyball team.

2. Fans involving two particular rival teams display sensitivity with each

other. They present non-hostile attitude towards an opposing team supposed

that a major event (e.g. victory or loss) is concerning the team they are

supporting. The rival fans’ capability to react in the perception of the

opposing team suggest the presence of such. Moreover, they present healthy

evaluation towards both UAAP volleyball team.

3. Fans express optimistic reactions regardless of reflected glory or failure.

Suppose that the team supported achieved victory or the rival team suffered

loss, fans have direct celebration to display their feeling of happiness.

30
 Otherwise, fans indicate emotions of sadness yet involves positive feedback

of fan sportsmanship.

4. Reaction of team fans involving the occurrence of a major volleyball team

event is congruent to the perception of neutral fans concerning the same

event. Both fans indicate emotions of happiness when experiencing glory

and exhibit optimistic approach when suffering team failure.

5. Results suggest the phenomenon of bashing removes fans from their

comfort zone. Fans express negative feedback when it comes to an event

of an individual bashing a volleyball team. Furthermore, the cause of their

irritation is emotionally inclined.

6. Fans perceives that lack of knowledge towards the sports medium identifies

to a possible bandwagon individual. They describe bandwagon fans as

individual with fresh interests towards volleyball usually with the tendency

to bash other teams.

7. Fans are aware of the current events concerning the supported volleyball

affiliation and possess in-depth knowledge towards the team history and

structure. Moreover, they are capable of evaluating involved issues in terms

to their effects to the team supported and to the current trend.

8. The use of media plays a vital role to a fans expression of direct affection.

Results indicates that television and social media applications are tools for

monitoring volleyball games and expressing opinion regarding the latest

volleyball events.

31
 9. Fans unconsciously exhibits traces of BIRGing (Cialdini et. al., 1976)

through their statements by using first-person pronouns suppose the subject

topic involves their volleyball affiliation glory.

10. Fans does not resort to CORFing (Cialdini et. al., 1976) following the failure

of their volleyball team. Optimistic approach of fans towards the particular

event indicates their intact distance with the volleyball affiliation.

Additionally, they continually believe the possibility of success in the next

major event.

Recommendation

Throughout the study, the experiences of UAAP volleyball fans requires more

inquiries since the number of participants collected is relatively small and the scope

involved in the study is limited. Hence, the researchers suggest the following:

1. Increase the number of participants involved in the study.

2. Conduct the study outside the campus with expanded age range.

3. Involve fans evident of direct bashing towards other teams.

4. Expand gender preferences during sampling.

5. Establish a research design which can measure the intensity of fan’s

affection toward his affiliation with greater validity.

6. Establish study concerning how the nature of an individual’s work affects

his experiences as fan.

7. Involve other third-party volleyball team-related roles in the study.

32
 REFERENCES

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Studies-Entry.pdf

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Perry, M. (1998). Deindividuation. Retrieved from Living in a Social World :

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Posten, M. (1998). Basking in Glory and Cutting off Failure. Retrieved from Living in a

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34
 APPENDICES

Appendix A: Approval Letter

UNIVERSITY MISSION
UNIVERSITY VISION Republic of the Philippines
Cavite State University shall provide
The premier University in the
historic Cavite recognized in the
CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY excellent, equitable and relevant
educational opportunities in the arts,
sciences and technology through quality
development of globally
competitive and morally upright Don Severino Delas Alas Campus instruction and responsive research and
individuals development activities. It shall produce
Indang, Cavite professional, skilled and morally upright
individuals for global competitiveness.
 (046) 415-0013 /  (046) 415-0012
E-mail: cvsu@asia.com

April 25, 2018

To whom it may concern,

Our group, composed of grade 11 students under Ms. Ana Ruth M. Andalajao, would like to request
for your permission to conduct our study entitled “Lived Experiences of Biased UAAP Volleyball
Team Fans in Cavite State University”. The study is designed to fulfill our academic
requirements in Practical Research 1.

The researchers would conduct interviews regarding our participants’ experiences towards a
phenomenon. For more information, attached is a copy of our informed consent that discusses the
nature of our research. Rest assured that the best possible ethical considerations would be exercised
and that the results will be used for academic purposes only.

Your approval to conduct this study will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Respectfully yours,

JEISON A. DOLORIDO JAN GABRIEL I. HERRERA

CEDRIC JUSTINE B. ENCARNACION JAN WESLEY C. MORIDO

LEE ARIUS G. ERAÑA LEANNA FELIZE B. POLO

Noted by:

ANA RUTH M. ANDALAJAO, RPm

Practical Research 1 Teacher

35
Appendix B: Informed Consent for the Participant

INFORMED CONSENT

Title:

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF BIASED UAAP VOLLEYBALL TEAM FANS

IN CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY

Description of the research and your participation

The study is focused on viewing the lived experiences of UAAP volleyball team
fans in which favoritism of a fan towards a team in comparison to others plays a vital role.
Specifically, the researchers are investigating the preferences, reaction, and factors causing
biased behavior in a fan’s perspective.
Participants contributing to the study are expected to inform the researchers with
their experiences as a particular UAAP volleyball team fan in a semi-structured interview.

Participants

The following criteria are the basis for the selection of the participants:
 Must be a College student in Cavite State University – Main
 Must be 18-24 years old
 Must be an avid fan of UAAP volleyball team (specifically Ateneo and De La Salle
volleyball team)
 Must be knowledgeable about volleyball

Risks and discomforts

During the study, participation may lead you to various minor discomforts. The
process may intervene into your daily time schedule and may provide you inconvenience
due to possible sensitivity to the selected subject matter. To minimize these risks, the
researchers will allow you to select (or to negotiate) the schedule of interview and will keep
confidentiality to all information you contributed related to the study.

Potential benefits

Participants may gain different benefits based on result of the study. Through in-
depth analysis of your responses synthesized with the information gathered from other
participants, you may gain a clearer overview of your perspective as a volleyball team fan.
Moreover, the study may lead to providing solution to clear conflicts between the
opposing fans of the every respective team. The outcome will be able to identify the effects
of an individual being a biased sports fan on his/her respected team.

36
Utilization of the results of the study

After your participation, the results of the study will serve as an academic
requirement and will be passed onto our research instructor. Moreover, there exist the
possibility that results may be used for further academic basis by other researchers.
Furthermore, the researchers will provide you the results suppose that you wish for
it.

Protection of Confidentiality

To protect your right to confidentiality, the researchers assure that all responses and
information observed from you during the interview will be used for academic purpose
only. Participants selected have the option to substitute their name to an abstract variable
in the interview’s transcript.
As the researchers’ priority, participants’ conditions regarding their security can be
considered in the study. Information sensitive to the informant will not be forced to be
transcribed.

Voluntary Participation

The decision of the participants whether he/she will participate in the study is
voluntary. Participation in the study is not compulsory. If the participant decided to take
part, they will be asked to sign a consent form as a validation of their contribution.
Moreover, after signing the consent form, the option to withdraw remains with the
participants. Withdrawing from the study means nullifying the effect of the participant in
any part of the study. Suppose that the individual wished to withdraw from the study before
data analysis is completed, information gathered will be returned or disregarded.

Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns regarding the study, you may contact the
researchers through the research email address: uaapfanbiasing@gmail.com, or through
their research instructor: anaruthandalaja0@gmail.com and/or 09260256358.

37
38
39
40
Appendix C: Interviewer’s guide questions

GUIDE QUESTIONS

1. Anong koponan sa UAAP volleyball ang iyong sinusuportahan: Ateneo Lady

Eagles o La Salle Lady Spikers?

2. Bakit mo sinusuportahan ang koponang iyon?

3. Paano mo masasabi na isa kang totoong fan ng koponang iyon?

4. Anong nararamdaman mo kapag nananalo ang koponang sinusuportahan mo at

anong mga paraan ang ginagawa mo para maipakita ang pagsuporta mo?

5. Anong nararamdaman mo kapag natatalo ang koponang sinusuportahan mo at

anong mga paraan ang ginagawa mo para maipakita ang pagkadismaya mo?

6. Anong nararamdaman mo kapag nananalo ang “rival team” ng iyong koponan?

7. Anong nararamdaman mo kapag natatalo ang “rival team” ng iyong koponan?

8. Kung sakaling lumipat ang iyong suporta sa “rival team”, ano ang sa tingin mong

magiging pananaw mo sa kasalukuyang koponan na sinusuportahan mo?

9. Anong nararamdaman mo kapag bina-bash ng ibang fans ang koponang

sinusuportahan mo?

a. Bakit kailangan mong mam-bash? (Optional)

NOTE: Inquiries towards the neutral participant will be revised into third-person point of

view.

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Appendix D: Interview Transcripts

Interview Transcript A

Date of Interview: May 10, 2018

Time of Interview: 11:29 AM – 11:31 AM
Interviewer: Jan Gabriel I. Herrera

Interviewer: Good morning po! Nandito po kami para po mag-interview po

tungkol sa iyong mga karanasan bilang fan ng isang UAAP
volleyball team. Sa unang tanong, anong koponan sa UAAP
volleyball ang iyong sinusuportahan: Ateneo Lady Eagles o La
Salle Lady Spikers?

Ateneo: Ateneo ako... A-ateneo talaga yung pinaka... sinusuport ko na

team sa UAAP.

Interviewer: Bakit mo sinusuportahan ang koponang iyon?

Ateneo: Kase noong panahon pa ni Alyssa Valdez e... parang ano pa...
parang ang sarap nung feeling na pag nakikita mong pumalo si
Alyssa Valdez na mas lalo kang na-eenganyong manood. Yung
“Phenom” kasi, yung salitang “Phenom” na ibinansag sa kanya
is more on nagtatak sakin kaya... Ateneo ako.

Interviewer: Paano mo masasabi na isa kang totoong fan ng koponang iyon?

Ateneo: Eh... ‘Pag ka may laro ang Ateneo, hindi pwedeng hindi ako
manonood, ganun, pero hindi ako nakakapunta sa mismong
mall, sa mismong venue, pero nanonood ako sa TV basta may
laro ang Ateneo.

Interviewer: Anong nararamdaman mo kapag nan analo ang koponang

sinusuportahan mo at anong mga paraan ang ginagawa mo para
maipakita ang pagsuporta mo?

Ateneo: Sobrang saya yung tatalon ka sa bahay niyo tapos sasabihin mo,
“Yoohoo!” yung gaganun ka. Parang yung sobrang saya mo...

42
 na hindi mo maipaliwanag ng maayos pero yung saya mo is
nandoon.
Interviewer:
Eh paano naman kapag natalo yung sinusuportahan mong
koponan?

Ateneo:
Tinatanong pa ba iyon edi iiyak ka. Malulungkot ka syempre
pero dapat masaya ka lang kasi hindi naman ikaw yung
naglalaro eh... dapat ano ka lang... da-dapat no hate just love
ganun lang

Interviewer:
Eh ano naman ang nararamdaman mo kapag nananalo ang
“rival team” ng iyong koponan?

Ateneo:
Yun nga sabi ko nga no hate just love edi... masaya para sa
nanalo.

Interviewer:
Mmm anong nararamdaman mo naman kapag natatalo ang
“rival team” ng iyong koponan?

Ateneo:
Yun nga sabi ko nga sa inyo no hate just love. Ano... masaya
ako kapag nananalo yung team... yung mmm... ‘pag na... ‘pag
natatalo yung rival kasi nanalo yung team mo eh natalo yung
rival so masaya yun... walang... wala namang problema diba.

Interviewer:
So kung sakaling lumipat ang iyong suporta sa “rival team”,
ano ang sa tingin mong magiging pananaw mo sa kasalukuyang
koponan na sinusuportahan mo?

Ateneo:
Ano ulit?

Interviewer:
Kunyare ah... Diba Ateneo ka, paano kapag naging fan ka na ng
La Salle? Ano na’ng point of view mo sa Ateneo Lady Eagles
‘pag fan ka na ng La Salle.

Ateneo:
Ganoon pa rin naman ah malakas pa rin naman ang... kung
tutuusin ang Ateneo kung ganun man... para sa akin malakas pa

43
 rin ang Ateneo. Eh kaso nga lang, nagsupport na ako sa La
Salle kase mas malakas na ang La Salle kung iyon ang ibig
Interviewer: mong sabihin.
Eh anong nararamdaman mo kapag bina-bash ng ibang fans ang
koponang sinusuportahan mo?

Ateneo:
Ahmm... Naiinis ako kasi hindi naman sila yung naglalaro,
bakit sila mambabash – I mean... wala naman silang magagawa
kundi manood lang... bakit sila ano ... pero wala naman akong
ano doon.

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 Interview Transcript B

Date of Interview: May 15, 2018

Time of Interview: 12:34 PM – 12:39 PM
Interviewer: Jeison A. Dolorido

Interviewer: Good morning po! Nandito po kami para po mag-interview po

tungkol sa iyong mga lived experiences bilang fan ng isang
UAAP volleyball team. Ano pong koponan sa UAAP volleyball
ang iyong sinusuportahan: Ateneo Lady Eagles o La Salle Lady
Spikers?

La Salle: Ano-a… De La Salle Lady Spikers.

Interviewer: Bakit mo sinusuportahan ang koponang iyon?

La Salle: Uhmm… Kase meron silang ano uhmm… magandang

volleyball program and nung simula akong nanood ng UAAP,
sila talaga yung naabutan kong very dominant na team sa
UAAP.

Interviewer: So, paano mo masasabi na isa kang totoong fan ng koponang

iyon?

La Salle: Ano… Kasi ‘pag fan ka, ‘pag talo, talo. ‘Pag panalo, panalo.
Ta’s hindi ka nakikipag-away sa ibang fans.

Interviewer: So… gaya nga po ng sinabi niyo na ‘pag panalo, panalo, ano
namang nararamdaman mo kapag nananalo ang koponang
sinusuportahan mo at anong mga paraan ang ginagawa mo para
maipakita ang pagsuporta mo?

La Salle: Ano… nararamdaman ko siyempre eh ako kasi kapag nanonood

tapos ‘pag panalo o kaya every point lang na makuha nila,
maingay kasi ako manood ng UAAP, talagang palakpak ako
kung palakpak, natalon pa nga ako eh tapos sigaw ako ng sigaw
sa bahay tapos uhmm… yung way ko… ano… nagtu-tweet lang
ako sa kanila.

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 So anong nararamdaman mo kapag natatalo ang koponang
Interviewer: sinusuportahan mo at anong mga paraan ang ginagawa mo para
maipakita ang pagkadismaya mo sa pangyayaring iyon?

Ano… dati kasi sobra akong affected ‘pag talo yung team ko
La Salle: pero ngayon, ano kasi, lahat ng players ay lumalakas tapos lahat
din ng teams nag-iimprove so ‘pag talo… ano… yung wala
na’ng maraming reasons. ‘Pag talo is… hindi talaga para sa
kanila yung game.

So uhmm… diba lahat naman po ng team may rival team, so

Interviewer: ano naman pong nararamdaman mo kapag nananalo ang “rival
team” ng iyong koponan?

Ano… malungkot lalo na siyempre Ateneo diba yung kanilang

La Salle: rival. Dati UST and FEU, pero this past seven years, ano…
Ateneo yung rival talaga nila tapos ‘pag natatalo sila, siyempre
malungkot pero may second round pa naman.

So ano naman nararamdaman pong niyo kapag natatalo ang

Interviewer: “rival team” niyo?

Siyempre masaya. Sino ba namang hindi magiging masaya?

La Salle: Ang saya-saya talaga. Tapos ano… asaran lang ganoon sa
classroom ‘pag panalo yung team ko tapos yung team nung
mga… ano… kaklase ko is hindi nananalo.

Tapos… Ito kung sakali lang po ito ah. Kung sakaling lumipat
Interviewer: ang iyong suporta sa “rival team”, ano ang sa tingin mong
magiging pananaw mo sa kasalukuyang koponan na
sinusuportahan mo?

Paulit, paulit
La Salle:

Ahmm, halimbawa diba po ang rival team po ng la salle eh

Interviewer: ngayon ay Ateneo. What if lumipat po yung pagsuporta niyo po
doon sa Ateneo? Ano po yung mararamdaman niyo sa La Salle
ngayon na ang pagsuporta niyo na po ay nasa Ateneo?

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 What if lang naman diba? Siguro malulungkot ako kasi hindi
La Salle: nakaabot sa finals yung Ateneo nitong nakaraang season and
siguro… madidismaya din and… as well as… happy pa rin kasi
nag-third sila pero siyempre yung history na nagawa nila na six
times na sunud-sunod yung finals appearance nila together with
La Salle, parang nasira yung trend so malungkot.

So ano naman pong nararamdaman niyo kapag binabash ng

Interviewer: ibang fans ang koponang sinusuportahan niyo?

Ano… yung bashing kasi… nangyayari siya kapag walang

La Salle: enough knowledge yung… hindi kasi sila fans… mga ano lang
sila… mga bandwagon… mga ano lang sila uhmm…yung mga
bago pa lang sila na natututo sa volleyball, mga bago pa lang
silang nakakahiligan yung volleyball and bago pa lang silang
nagsusupport ng UAAP tapos yung mga bashing kasi out of
nowhere lang tapos minsan binabash nila na mag... mmm…
binabash nila na… mmm… ha ano… na magkakaaway, na
pinag-aaway nila yung mga players pero in real life yung
players naman yung magkakaibigan so ang nagpapalala lang
talaga ng mga situation ay yung fans.

So naranasan niyo na po bang mambash ng ibang team?

Interviewer:

Hindi actually ‘pag ano… hindi talaga… ano… inaano ko lang

La Salle: ‘pag talo sila na… inaano ko pa rin… kino-commend ko pa rin
yung mga nagawa nilang maganda doon sa place nila pero as
well as napo-point out ko din yung mga… ano yung mga weak
points nila… ano parang kung mabasa man nila ‘yan diba… in
case na mabasa parang… ano yan eh… constructive criticism
tapos magagamit nila iyon to improve their team.

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 Interview Transcript C

Date of Interview: May 17, 2018

Time of Interview: 1:34 PM – 1:39 PM
Interviewer: Cedric Justine B. Encarnacion

Interviewer: Hi mga researchers po na titignan po namin yung mga lived

experiences na bilang UAAP volleyball team fan, so
napagalaman po naming wala kayong team na –

Neutral: Oo wala akong specific team sa UAAP volleyball.

Interviewer: So bakit po ba wala kayong specific team na…

Neutral: Kasi ahh… sakin ha base on my ano ha… for example

experience naglalaro rin ako uhmm… nakikita ko na lahat
naman is deserve na magkaroon ng ano ng magandang
pagtingin sa bawat isa kait na nasa ibang uhmm… for example
sa ibang team sila kasi para sakin eh kaya hindi ako nagbibigay
ng ah… specific na team sa isang volleyball players kasi
nakikita ko lahat sila deserve don sa ano na yon e kung baga
nageexcel sila pagdating sa volleyball, so yun.

Interviewer: Ay tapos na po?

Neutral: Oo

Interviewer: So ano po yung nararamdaman nyo, halimbawa po may nakita

kayong fan, fan ng isang team na sinusuportahan yung isang
team na yon, so ano po sa tingin nyo yung dahilan kung bakit
nya sinusportahan yung team na yon?

Neutral: Unang-una baka mamaya nandon yung love ones diba? Or ah

parents or nandon yung nagmomotivate sa kanila para ano dahil
nakapasok sila sa volleyball team na yon or naging players sila
don. I-isa sa mga cheer nila na suporter nila kaya uhmm… ano
kung baga nagkakaron sila ng… pwede bang i-cut yon nawala
ako sa ano e

48
Interviewer: Sige sige lang po

Neutral: Ah pakita… ano nga ulit yung question?

Interviewer: Kung ano po yung dahilan nung ibang fan kung bakit nila
sinusuportahan yung team na …

Neutral: Kung bakit nila sinusuportahan, siguro ano nalang uhmm…

paiksiin ko nalang, kasi dahil nagagalingan sila don sa team na
yon. Yun nalang.

Interviewer: Sige po.so sa tingin nyo po ano po yung basehan ng isang fan
upang matawag nila ang sarili na “true fan”.

Neutral: Siguro ano kapag ka from the beginning hanggang sa

championship nandon yung ano na yon, nandon yun mga fan na
yon diba, kung baga nandon silang lahat, all out support, sakin
ha, para sakin ganon.

Interviewer: So since na wala po kayong team na –na sinusuportahan diba?

So ano po yung sa tingin nyo yung nararamdaman ng fan na
may sinusuportahang team kapag nanalo po yung team na
supported nila?

Neutral: Anong mararamdaman ko, kasi syempre…

Interviewer: Hindi-hinde kung ano po yung sa tingin nyo?

Neutral: Ah sa tingin ko na mararamdaman, syempre masaya kasi

nanalo e wala naman sigurong nanalo yung team na malungkot
diba? Masaya siguro ahh syempre nanalo yung team nila,
syempre ikaw ba naman fan ka nagpapakihirap kang mag-
ano… nagpapakihirap ka na ano magcheer sa kanila tapos
kapag nanalo di ka magiging masaya syempre dapat masaya ka
lagi, so yun.

49
Interviewer: Halimbawa naman po diba po ano, halimbawa po yung isang
team eh nanalo, so meron pong isang team na lagging natatalo,
so ano po yung sa tingi... pananaw nyo don kapag may nakikita
kayong fan na natalo nga yung team nila?

Neutral: Siguro ano sasabihin ko “better luck next time” hahaha, para
sakin ha kasi sa larong sport may winner tsaka may loser diba?
So yun, yun na siguro yung ano ko don.

Interviewer: So ano naman… ay sige po last question nalang po, so ano po

yung nararamdaman nyo halimbawa e kapag may nakikitang
isang fan na binabash yug kabilang fan?

Neutral: Syempre kung may e- good etiquettes ka naman dapat ano

uhmmm… hindi mo da- uhmm… feelings yan diba, feelings,
tama ba? Nararamdaman ko, siguro aawayin ko yung haha
aawayin ko yung nambash kasi syempre ah wala kasi in a
proper way, kung baga hindi mo alam ang nararamdaman nya
parang ganon, siguro yun ang pinakamagandang sagot sa lahat.

Interviewer: Sa tingin nyo po bakit nyo po aawayin yung halimbawa eh

hindi nyo naman po-

Neutral: Hindi naman aawayin, siguro e makikipag combo lang ako.

Interviewer: Makikipag combo ka lang? Hehe ah sige po kuya, salamat po.

Neutral: Sige sige thank you, thank you.

Interviewer: Sorry po sa abala.

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