Part of sports fans' brains shut down when their favourite team loses.
Sports fans suffer a brain shutdown when their team loses
A new study has found that the section of the organ responsible for how people respond to events is switched off in the event of defeat, increasing the chances of a supporter acting in an irrational and aggressive manner.
Losing triggers a mental mechanism that leads to explosive tendencies in hardcore fans while those of a more moderate nature respond more introspectively.
MRI scans were carried out on the brains of 43 football fans in Chile, 22 of whom supported Colo-Colo and the other 21 who followed rivals Universidad de Chile.
The fans answered a questionnaire to gauge their level of support before being shown images of goals both for and against their club while in a scanner.
Dr. Francisco Zamorano Mendieta, from Universidad San Sebastian in the South American country, explained that losing activates a "mentalisation network" that makes an individual feel introspective as a method to cope with the agony of defeat.
He said: "This study aims to shed light on the behaviours and dynamics associated with extreme rivalry, aggression and social affiliation within and between groups of fanatics.
"Understanding the psychology of group identification and competition can shed light on decision-making processes and social dynamics, leading to a fuller comprehension of how societies operate."