6:59 published in Jiangsu
Interview time: December 02, 2022
Interview location: Changzhou De'an Hospital Mental Health Center
Psychological counselor: He Yiguo
Case summary: Exploring the psychological phenomena behind the World Cup
World Cup
Qatar The World Cup is coming, and fans from all over the world are rejoicing to welcome this once-in-four-year sports event. Although they were five time zones apart, Chinese fans were fearless and entered the World Cup ahead of the Chinese team. They are full of passion and energy, grilling barbecue and cheering for their favorite team, and are always ready to start a happy "spin". Hundreds of millions of Chinese people have lived a fulfilling, resonant and exciting nightlife during this month. What psychological phenomenon is hidden behind football that makes fans all over the world crazy about it?
Football and Human Attack Instinct
Football, as a "substitute for war", is as aggressive as highly confrontational sports such as wrestling, boxing, sumo. Aggressive behavior is human instinct and is a behavior that individuals take to compete for territory in order to survive. From the perspective of instinctive morality, the id is amoral, while the self strives to become moral. The "self, id, , and superego" use various ways to deal with the activities of attacking instincts. Some of them are transformed into harmless forms through fusion with the survival instinct; the other part is directed towards the external world in the form of attack. Aggressive behavior provides us with an opportunity to vent our emotions, and games are undoubtedly the best way to vent human aggression.
Football is essentially a game. Under normal and legal game rules, humans reasonably vent their attacking instincts. The charm of competition makes people conquer and resonate, in order to achieve the purpose of releasing the desire to attack. This desire to attack is often difficult to accept in real life, and football gives us the opportunity to get in touch with our more primitive and instinctive selves through physical collisions.
Sports and psychological catharsis
情
Threads
兴
出
World Cup
In real life, almost no one can escape stress, especially men. They tend to suppress their emotions and are not used to sharing their inner experiences with others. They often have no place to complain and tears. Sports provide them with a way to vent their inner negative emotions. Research shows that exercise can promote hormone changes and improve the way the body responds to stress, and exercise can stimulate neurotransmitters such as , dopamine, , and serotonin in the brain, thereby affecting mood and behavior.
Even though he cannot compete in person, he still shouts, curses, and becomes hysterical following the changes on the court. Those behaviors that are usually not understood have become normal reactions because of the World Cup. The World Cup has created an environment for fans to vent their frustrations, rebellion and anger that have been suppressed for a long time. And concentrating fully on the game can give the mind a temporary rest without having to worry about work or livelihood. It is a rare opportunity for mental escape.
Heroism complex and sense of achievement
ht The ml5 World Cup admires individual heroes. A team without heroes is as dim as a history without heroes. Messi, C Ronaldo, Neymar, Mbappe and Lewandowski and other superstars are as famous as the presidents of various countries. Everyone wants to be a hero, but not everyone can become a hero. The ever-changing stadium, fleeting opportunities, and superb finishing are the only path for a hero.Research has found that fans of winning teams, like players, have extremely rapid increases in male hormones in their blood. During the game, the fans' physical and mental experiences are almost the same as those of football players running on the field. So as we immerse ourselves in this majestic event, immersed in the atmosphere of heroism, even if Qatar is out of reach, our brains "believe" that we are unstoppable warriors on the court.
Although the fruits of victory are bright, they always go through twists and turns. Geniuses such as Messi once lamented: "I trained early and late, and it took me 17 years and 114 days to achieve overnight fame." Success is never easy, and it is even more difficult for ordinary people. And when the team they support wins, people will be surrounded by great success, feel ecstasy, and indirectly and easily gain a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
World Cup
Herd mentality and sense of belonging
In psychology, herd refers to the behavioral correction or change of ideas made by the parties based on the behavior of others. The word herd itself does not have a negative value judgment. Humans are naturally social animals and only feel safe when they reach a high degree of agreement with others. Therefore, when the World Cup becomes popular all over the world and attracts everyone's participation, if you don't know anything about it, you will easily be marginalized by the group. This danger of being marginalized will create pressure to conform and encourage people to take the initiative to pay attention.
Watching football games with family or friends, wearing the same uniform as the team, chanting the same slogans and singing the same song with the fans, all create an atmosphere of sharing the same hatred and hatred, deeply connecting each other, and satisfying people's need for a sense of belonging.
Overconfidence and Confirmation Bias
In addition to the competition, there is another activity that also makes people excited, and that is "betting on football." "Give it a try, and the bicycle will turn into a motorcycle; take a gamble, and the car will turn into Land Rover ." However, with the "upset" of the event, the dismal ending of the full-confidence, and regrets after all-out efforts, topics such as "queues start to line up on the rooftop of the World Cup" are also common. Many fans question match-fixing, but they ignore the randomness and accidental factors of the game itself. Although it is under the guise of a football match, its essence is still gambling. "There is no winner in long-term gambling, and no pants in big gambling." Past experience and cognition of football, as well as representational intuition, can make us fall into the psychological trap of "overconfidence". We are confident about the outcome of the game, but the results are shocking. And people are usually affected by "confirmation bias", that is, they prefer information that can verify their ideas and ignore information that refutes their ideas. When we support a certain team, we unconsciously collect and absorb positive information about the team. We often overestimate the team's abilities and are unable to make objective judgments.
FOOTBALL WORLD CUP
Feng Jicai wrote in "The Spirit of Football": "For football, bravery and striving are its essence, timidity and cowardice are its betrayal; perseverance is its nature, and conservatism and fear are abandoned by it. Football will always have miracles only at the feet of the strong." What fans get from the stadium is not only the wonderful viewing enjoyment, but also the infection and inspiration of the spiritual power it shows. Although the Chinese team did not qualify for the World Cup, "Made in China" shines in and outside the World Cup, and its wisdom and tenacity are still worthy of our pride!
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He Yiguo
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psychotherapist has long been engaged in psychological assessment, crisis intervention, group therapy, etc.
's main focus: humanistic therapy, psychoanalysis therapy, group psychotherapy, specializing in psychological issues such as emotional stress and personal growth.
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