Team identification and postdisaster social well-being: The mediating role of social support

This research confirms the relationship between team identification and social wellbeing in times of adversity, and demonstrates how the perception of 2 types of social support-instrumental and emotional support-mediates this relationship. Analysis of data from spectators attending Japanese professional soccer games in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake identified a positive relationship between spectators' identification with a hometown team and postdisaster community cohesion, an indicator of social well-being. However, this relationship was partially mediated by the level of emotional support spectators perceived being provided by the team. In addition, perceptions of instrumental support from the team were unaffected by team identification, but positively predicted community cohesion. Our findings offer unique evidence for the ability of team identification to generate psychological benefits in the face of adversity, and advances the understanding of the mechanisms by which team identification leads to social well-being. This research further demonstrates that the mediating role of social support in the relationship between social identification and well-being may depend on the context of social identification under investigation as well as types of social support and well-being measured.