Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of China

Haixiang Lu; Dongfeng Liu; Haozhou Pu; Alan Robert Persaud

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1450073

Impact of perceived threats, benefits, and athlete brand image on attitudes toward naturalized athletes in the context of China

Front Psychol. 2024 Nov 14:15:1450073. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1450073. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Haixiang Lu^{1

2}, Dongfeng Liu¹, Haozhou Pu³, Alan Robert Persaud^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ School of Economics and Management, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
² School of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China.
³ Department of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, United States.
⁴ School for Business and Society, University of York, York, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Introduction: China's implementation of athletic naturalization has sparked controversy, yet empirical studies on the factors influencing public attitudes toward naturalized athletes remain scarce. This study aims to address this gap by constructing a theoretical model based on social identity theory, examining the impact of various psychological variables on respondents' attitudes toward naturalized athletes in China's national teams.

Methods: Data were collected from 704 online respondents. Descriptive and exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were conducted using SPSS 25.0. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses, utilizing SmartPLS 3.0.

Results: The findings indicate that perceived threats negatively impact attitudes (β = -0.134, p < 0.001), while perceived benefits positively influence athlete brand image (β = 0.494, p < 0.001) and attitudes (β = 0.169, p < 0.001). Athlete brand image positively affects attitudes (β = 0.623, p < 0.01) and mediates the relationship between perceived benefits and attitudes. Additionally, sport event involvement positively moderates the relationship between athlete brand image and attitudes. The model explained 33.7% of the variance in athlete brand image and 68.5% of the variance in attitudes.

Discussion: These findings suggest that naturalization decisions should consider the candidates' overall brand image, with the naturalization process being more transparent and the naturalized athletes' contribution being effectively communicated to the public. Additionally, fostering public involvement in sport events can create a more favorable atmosphere for athletic naturalization.

Keywords: athlete brand image; identification; likability; naturalized athletes; sport event involvement; support intention.