| Peer-Reviewed

Anxiety Disorders Linked to Superstitious Beliefs in Festish-Motivated Footballers

Received: 6 April 2022    Accepted: 28 April 2022    Published: 7 May 2022
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

The objective of our study was to examine the development of superstitious beliefs in footballers in relation to their emotional instability. This was a descriptive study based on the clinical research interview conducted with a sample of university footballers. Sixteen semi-structured interviews made it possible to collect information on present and past fetishist practices, attitudes and emotions. The participants were recruited by snowball sampling among students enrolled in the 3rd year of a sports license, football option at the Higher Institute of Physical and Sports Education. The average age of the subjects was 21.76±1.95 years. The average duration of football practice in the community was 4.37 years. Cultural expectations related to the obsession with sports victory demonstrated the traditional use of fetishes such as Nkama (22.22%), Mokoyi (42.85%), Ndami (22.22%), Mutoyo (22.22%), Pimba (44.44%), Soukaka (11.11%). For 39.17% of respondents, the emotion of folk music exerts a repulsive force on the adversary. This is intended for the personification of the spirit tamed by the witch doctor by 34.82% of footballers. It is an exhibition of the drive body for 12.31% of footballers in order to limit the opponent's attentional resources. And, 13.7% consider it as the cause of the opponent's falls on the field. The permanent immersion of footballers in superstitious rituals almost explains their adherence to ancestral beliefs in relation to pseudoscientific ideas of the environment. On the one hand, the results consider that the perpetuation of these beliefs leads to abnormal behaviors, which interfere with cognitions prone to anxious emotions. But the level of environmental alienation constitutes a brake against the importance of a psychological consultation, which is almost absent or almost unthought. On the other hand, fetishistic consultations are the consequence of the ignorance of the appropriate techniques of mental preparation by the sportsmen. Beyond that, the results show how the psychopathologist can seize this object by managing to overcome these irrational and paralyzing beliefs through cognitive and behavioral techniques.

Published in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences (Volume 11, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11
Page(s) 72-79
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Superstition, Anxiety, Emotion, Sportsman, Psychopathology, Alcohol, Fetish

References
[1] Aarnio, K. & Lindeman, M. (2007). Religious people and paranormal believers: Alike or different? Journal of Individual Differences, 28 (1) 1-9.
[2] Allard-Poesi, F., (2003). Coder les données. In Y. Giordano (Dir.), Conduire un projet de recherche, une perspective qualitative [Encode the data. In Y. Giordano (Dir.), Conducting a research project, a qualitative perspective]., Caen: EMS, pp. 245-290.
[3] Auerbach, C. F. & Silverstein, L. B. (2003). Qualitative Data: An Introduction to coding and Analysis, New York Universty Press.
[4] Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W H Freeman/Times Books/ Henry Holt & Co.
[5] Barlow, D. H., Bullis, J. R., Comer, J. S., Ametaj, A. A. (2013). Evidence-based psychological treatments: an update and a way forward. Ann Rev Clin Psych, 9: 1-27.
[6] Barlow, D. H. et Durand, M. V. (2016). Psychopathologie. Une approche integrative [Psychopathology. An integrative approach]. De Boeck Supérieur, p. 800.
[7] Beck, J. & Forstmeier, W. (2007). Superstition and Belief as Inevitable By-products of an Adaptive Learning Strategy, Human Nature, Spring, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 35-46.
[8] Bigand, E. Filipic, et Lalitte, P. (2005). The time course of emotional responses to music. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci, 1060, 429-37.
[9] Boy, D. (2002). Les français et les para-sciences: vingt ans de mesures. In: Revue française de sociologie, 43-1. pp. 35-45.
[10] Clark, L. A. (2005). Temperament asa unifying basis for personnality and psychopathology (special issue). Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 114, 505-521.
[11] Castarede, M-F. (2013), chapitre VII. L’entretien clinique à visée de recherche, Ch. VII, p. 139-172. Dans l’entretien clinique [Chapter VII. The clinical interview for research purposes, Ch. VII, p. 139-172. In the clinical interview] (Collette Chilland, 2013, p. 226), Presses Universitaires de France.
[12] Bioy, A., Castillo, M-C et Koenig, M. (2001). Les methods qualitatives en psychologie clinique et psychopathologie [Qualitative methods in clinical psychology and psychopathology], Dunod, p. 288.
[13] Cottraux, J. (2016). Les thérapies cognitives. Comment agir sur nos pensées et nos émotions [Cognitive therapies. How to Act on Our Thoughts and Emotions]? Retz, p. 283.
[14] Cox, R. H. (2013). Psychologie du sport [Sports psychology], De Boeck Supérieur, p. 527.
[15] Debois, N., (2003). De l’anxiété aux émotions compétitives: Etats de la recherche sur les états affectifs en psychologie du sport [From anxiety to competitive emotions: Status of research on affective states in sports psychology], STAPS, 3, 62, p. 21-42.
[16] Decamps, G. (2012). Psychologie du sport et de la performance [Psychology of sport and performance], De Boeck, p. 432.
[17] Delignieres, D. (1993). Anxiété et Performance, In Famose (Dir.), Cognition et Performance [Anxiety and Performance, In Famose (Dir.), Cognition and Performance], INSEP, pp. 235-254.
[18] Eluere, M. & Heas, S. (2017). Superstitions, Culture et sport, entre croyances et rationalisation. Le cas exploratoire d’une équipe professionnelle de volleyball en France [Superstitions, Culture and sport, between beliefs and rationalization. The exploratory case of a professional volleyball team in France]. Les Cahiers Internationaux de Psychologie Sociale, 1, n°113, p. 25-55.
[19] Fernandez, L. & Pedinielli, J. L. (2006). La recherche en psychologie clinique [Clinical psychology research], Recherche en Soins Infirmiers, n°84, p. 41-51.
[20] Franques, P., Auriacombe, M., Lincheneau, P. M., Tignol, J. (2004). Psychopathologie du sport [Sports Psychopathology], EMC-Psychiatrie, 1 (1), p. 1-14.
[21] Kim, M.-S. & Derivois, D. (2012). Enjeux psychiques de l’entretien clinique de recherche en contexte intercultural [Psychological issues of the clinical research interview in an intercultural context], L’Encéphale, Vol. 39, 5, p. 360-366.
[22] Krippendorff, K. (2003). Content analysis: an introduction to its methodology, 2nd Edition, Sarge Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
[23] Gardair, E. (2013). Échelle d’inquiétude, Échelle de croyances religieuses et superstieuses: Quels liens [Worry scale, Religious and superstitious belief scale: What links]? Bulletin de Psychologie, 2, n°524, p. 135-148.
[24] Godman, D. F. (1981). The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel, Wipf et Stock.
[25] Harris, S., Sheth, S. A., & Cohen, M. S. (2008). Functional neuroimaging of belief, disbelief, and uncertainty, Annals of Neurology, 63 (2), 141-147.
[26] Johnson, L. G. & Sabin, K. (2010). Échantillonnage déterminé selon les répondants pour les populations difficiles à joindre, [Respondent-driven sampling for hard-to-reach populations], Methodological Innovations Online, 5 (2), p. 38-48.
[27] Jones, M. V. (2003). Controlling emotions in sport. The Sport Psychologist, 17, 471-486.
[28] Lapointe, G. (2000). Superstition et divination [Superstition and divination], Théologiques, 8 (1), 5.
[29] Lechevalier, B., F. et Viader, F. (2008). Traité de neuropsychologie clinique: Neurosciences cognitives et cliniques de l’adulte [Treaty of clinical neuropsychology: Cognitive and clinical neurosciences of the adult], De Boeck, p. 1016.
[30] Lejoyeux, M. (2004). Alcoolodépendance, tempérament et personnalité [Alcohol dependence, temperament and personality] M/S: medecine sciences, 20 (12), 1140-1144.
[31] Lemaire, P. (2006). Psychologie cognitive [Cognitive psychology], De Boeck Supérieur, p. 562.
[32] Marcel, J. & Paquet, Y. (2010). Validation française de la version modifiée du « Sport Anxiety Scale » [French validation of the modified version of the “Sport Anxiety Scale”] (SAS), L’Encéphale, Vol. 36, 2, p. 116-121.
[33] Moragues, J-L. (2012). Psychologie de la performance – Corps motionnel, corps pulsionnel, [Psychology of performance – Emotional body, drive body] PULM, p. 288.
[34] Negura, L. (2006). L’analyse de contenu dans l’étude des représentations sociales, Sociologies (En ligne), Théories et recherche [Content analysis in the study of social representations, Sociologies (Online), Theories and research]. http://journals.openedition.org/sociologies/993.
[35] Ndounia, K. A. (2021). Sagesse et sorcellerie: un héritage ancestral chez A’NGBOE-NGBOEL (pp. 125-127). In: Les 140 ans de relations France-Congo avec leur héros commun Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza [Wisdom and sorcery: an ancestral heritage in A'NGBOE-NGBOEL (pp. 125-127). In: The 140 years of France-Congo relations with their common hero Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza], Editions HEMAR, p. 220.
[36] Palazzolo, J. (2012). Cas cliniques en thérapies comportementales et cognitives [Clinical cases in behavioral and cognitive therapies], 3e édition, Elsevier, p. 263.
[37] Palazzolo, J., & Arnaud, J. (2013). Anxiété et Performance: de la théorie à la pratique [Clinical cases in behavioral and cognitive therapies], Annales Médico-psychologiques, revue psychiatrique, Vol. 171, 6, p. 382-388.
[38] Patrik, N. J. & Sloboda J. (2011). Handbook of Music and Emotion: Theory, Research, Applications. Oxford University Press, p. 975.
[39] Prevost, M. & Debruille, J. B. (2013). Cooccurrence des croyances religieuses, superstitieuses et de type délirant [Co-occurrence of religious, superstitious and delusional-type beliefs], Santé mentale au Québec, 38 (1), 279-296.
[40] Reeve, J. (2017). Psychologie de la motivation et des émotions [Psychology of motivation and emotions], De Boeck Spérieur, p. 672.
[41] Reuchlin, M. (2002). Les méthodes en psychologie [methods in psychology], PUF, p. 128.
[42] Santiago-Delefosse, M. & Del Rio Carral, M. (2017). Les méthodes qualitatives en psychologie et Sciences Humaines de la Santé [Qualitative methods in psychology and human health sciences], Dunod, p. 304.
[43] Target, Ch. (2016). La Bible de la préparation mentale De la théorie à la pratique [The Bible of mental preparation From theory to practice], Amphora, p. 763.
[44] Torgler, B. (2007). Determinants of superstition. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 36 (5), 713-733.
[45] Traïni, Ch., (2001). Des sentiments aux émotions (et vice-versa). Comment devient-on militant de la cause animale [From feelings to emotions (and vice versa). How do you become an animal rights activist] Revue française de science politique, 2, Vol. 60, p. 335-358.
[46] Tsiama, P. J. A., Mabassa, S. D., Mabiala Nziedi, R. F., Koulombo, U. A., Mandoumou, P. (2019). Prédiction des Symptômes Dépressifs sur la Cognition des Entraîneurs Congolais [Prediction of Depressive Symptoms on the Cognition of Congolese Coaches], IOSR Journal of Sports and Physical Education (IOSR-JSPE), 6.3: 26-34.
[47] Tsiama, P. J. A., Ghimbi, N. L. M., Moussounda, M. S. M. & Ndziedi, F. R. M. (2021). Hearing Attention of young Adult Sportsmen Prone to Alcohol. Psychology, 12, 1025-1037.
[48] Vallerand, R. J. & Blanchard, C. M. (2000). The study of emotion in sport and exercise. In Y. L. Hanin (Ed.), Emotions in sport (pp. 3-38). Champain, IL: Human Kinetics.
[49] Wain, O., Spinella, M. (2007). Executive functions in morality, religion, and paranormal beliefs, International Journal of Neuroscience, 117 (1) 135-146.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Portejoie Jean Aimé Tsiama, Edouard Bakembo Mayoukou. (2022). Anxiety Disorders Linked to Superstitious Beliefs in Festish-Motivated Footballers. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 11(3), 72-79. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Portejoie Jean Aimé Tsiama; Edouard Bakembo Mayoukou. Anxiety Disorders Linked to Superstitious Beliefs in Festish-Motivated Footballers. Psychol. Behav. Sci. 2022, 11(3), 72-79. doi: 10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Portejoie Jean Aimé Tsiama, Edouard Bakembo Mayoukou. Anxiety Disorders Linked to Superstitious Beliefs in Festish-Motivated Footballers. Psychol Behav Sci. 2022;11(3):72-79. doi: 10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11,
      author = {Portejoie Jean Aimé Tsiama and Edouard Bakembo Mayoukou},
      title = {Anxiety Disorders Linked to Superstitious Beliefs in Festish-Motivated Footballers},
      journal = {Psychology and Behavioral Sciences},
      volume = {11},
      number = {3},
      pages = {72-79},
      doi = {10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.pbs.20221103.11},
      abstract = {The objective of our study was to examine the development of superstitious beliefs in footballers in relation to their emotional instability. This was a descriptive study based on the clinical research interview conducted with a sample of university footballers. Sixteen semi-structured interviews made it possible to collect information on present and past fetishist practices, attitudes and emotions. The participants were recruited by snowball sampling among students enrolled in the 3rd year of a sports license, football option at the Higher Institute of Physical and Sports Education. The average age of the subjects was 21.76±1.95 years. The average duration of football practice in the community was 4.37 years. Cultural expectations related to the obsession with sports victory demonstrated the traditional use of fetishes such as Nkama (22.22%), Mokoyi (42.85%), Ndami (22.22%), Mutoyo (22.22%), Pimba (44.44%), Soukaka (11.11%). For 39.17% of respondents, the emotion of folk music exerts a repulsive force on the adversary. This is intended for the personification of the spirit tamed by the witch doctor by 34.82% of footballers. It is an exhibition of the drive body for 12.31% of footballers in order to limit the opponent's attentional resources. And, 13.7% consider it as the cause of the opponent's falls on the field. The permanent immersion of footballers in superstitious rituals almost explains their adherence to ancestral beliefs in relation to pseudoscientific ideas of the environment. On the one hand, the results consider that the perpetuation of these beliefs leads to abnormal behaviors, which interfere with cognitions prone to anxious emotions. But the level of environmental alienation constitutes a brake against the importance of a psychological consultation, which is almost absent or almost unthought. On the other hand, fetishistic consultations are the consequence of the ignorance of the appropriate techniques of mental preparation by the sportsmen. Beyond that, the results show how the psychopathologist can seize this object by managing to overcome these irrational and paralyzing beliefs through cognitive and behavioral techniques.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Anxiety Disorders Linked to Superstitious Beliefs in Festish-Motivated Footballers
    AU  - Portejoie Jean Aimé Tsiama
    AU  - Edouard Bakembo Mayoukou
    Y1  - 2022/05/07
    PY  - 2022
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11
    T2  - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
    JF  - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
    JO  - Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
    SP  - 72
    EP  - 79
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7845
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20221103.11
    AB  - The objective of our study was to examine the development of superstitious beliefs in footballers in relation to their emotional instability. This was a descriptive study based on the clinical research interview conducted with a sample of university footballers. Sixteen semi-structured interviews made it possible to collect information on present and past fetishist practices, attitudes and emotions. The participants were recruited by snowball sampling among students enrolled in the 3rd year of a sports license, football option at the Higher Institute of Physical and Sports Education. The average age of the subjects was 21.76±1.95 years. The average duration of football practice in the community was 4.37 years. Cultural expectations related to the obsession with sports victory demonstrated the traditional use of fetishes such as Nkama (22.22%), Mokoyi (42.85%), Ndami (22.22%), Mutoyo (22.22%), Pimba (44.44%), Soukaka (11.11%). For 39.17% of respondents, the emotion of folk music exerts a repulsive force on the adversary. This is intended for the personification of the spirit tamed by the witch doctor by 34.82% of footballers. It is an exhibition of the drive body for 12.31% of footballers in order to limit the opponent's attentional resources. And, 13.7% consider it as the cause of the opponent's falls on the field. The permanent immersion of footballers in superstitious rituals almost explains their adherence to ancestral beliefs in relation to pseudoscientific ideas of the environment. On the one hand, the results consider that the perpetuation of these beliefs leads to abnormal behaviors, which interfere with cognitions prone to anxious emotions. But the level of environmental alienation constitutes a brake against the importance of a psychological consultation, which is almost absent or almost unthought. On the other hand, fetishistic consultations are the consequence of the ignorance of the appropriate techniques of mental preparation by the sportsmen. Beyond that, the results show how the psychopathologist can seize this object by managing to overcome these irrational and paralyzing beliefs through cognitive and behavioral techniques.
    VL  - 11
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Sports Psychology Laboratory, Higher Institute of Physical and Sports Education, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

  • Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology, Faculty of Letters, Arts and Human Sciences, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

  • Sections