Who are these football fans: development of fan identity inventory
BMC Psychology, cilt.14, sa.1, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 14 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1186/s40359-026-04789-8
- Dergi Adı: BMC Psychology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals, Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Fan behavior, Psychometric validation, Scale development, Social identity, Stakeholder theory
- Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The aim of this study was to develop the Football Fan Identity Inventory and to examine its psychometric properties. The study was conducted using a multi-stage scale development design. In the initial stage, an item pool was developed based on qualitative responses obtained from participants and expert evaluations. Data were collected from football fans through convenience sampling across four independent samples (n = 256, n = 299, n = 308, and n = 208). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to determine and validate the factor structure of the scale. The results revealed a four-factor structure consisting of 22 items, explaining 74.24% of the total variance. The model demonstrated a good fit to the data (χ²/df = 2.29–2.41, CFI = 0.98–0.99, RMSEA = 0.065–0.068). Reliability analyses indicated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.957). The findings suggest that the Football Fan Identity Inventory is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing different dimensions of football fan identity. The scale provides a useful tool for researchers and practitioners to better understand fan behavior and engagement.