Your brain on hockey: Waterloo study aims to capture ‘real-time experience’ of spectators
Jacob Howard is an avid sports fan, but when it comes to excitement, nothing gets him more pumped up than watching hockey. “It’s fast-paced,” he said enthusiastically during an outdoor viewing of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers in uptown Waterloo. “It’s physical, it’s exciting. There are plays that make me go like, ‘ooh’ or cover my face. It’s something I can get really passionate about, which I can’t really feel about things like football or baseball.”
Howard emphasized the importance of watching the game with others, rather than alone in his living room. He explained that being surrounded by fellow fans at events like the watch party in Waterloo Town Square on June 10 adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.
Ethan Loginov, a hockey player himself, echoed Howard’s sentiments about the thrill of watching a Stanley Cup finals game. “I’m just seeing the best in the world doing what they are the best at, seeing why they’re the best, seeing things that you know as a hockey player that you could never do and being able to watch that every day is awesome,” Loginov said.
As Howard and Loginov immersed themselves in the game, a new study conducted by the University of Waterloo shed light on how passionate fans like them experience hockey on a neurological level. Luke Potwarka, a lead researcher in the university’s department of recreation and leisure studies, explained that they used a non-invasive brain imaging device called functional near infrared spectroscopy to monitor brain activity while participants watched a European Hockey League game.
The study found that passionate fans exhibited greater activation in a part of the brain responsible for evaluating and judging social situations, particularly during key moments like faceoffs. Adrian Safati, a PhD candidate in the psychology department who contributed to the research, highlighted the significance of this finding in understanding the fan experience.
Moving forward, the research team plans to explore how the brain reacts to other sports, such as soccer, basketball, and even curling. They also aim to investigate the impact of commentary during games on a viewer’s experience, with the goal of enhancing broadcasters’ understanding of audience preferences.
With the publication of their study in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers hope to pave the way for further research into the social and cognitive aspects of sports fandom. By delving into the intricacies of how fans interact with and respond to sporting events, they aim to deepen our understanding of the sports viewing experience.
