Complex psychophysiological assessment of the emotional state of football fans: Dynamics in the conditions of self-control, criteria and indicators

Abstract

This paper presents the results of the preliminary research aimed at a complex psychophysiological assessment of the emotional state of football fans. The issue of mob violence and aggressive behavior of some football fans at football stadiums and the prevention of aggressive and destructive behavior of football spectators in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 2018 make this research relevant. The purpose of this study is to compare the emotional state of a football fan before and after teaching them conscious self-regulation methods and to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of complex psychophysiological diagnostics using the biofeedback device during the training session. The sample for this research is 19-27year-old football fans with a fan experience from seven to ten years. During the experiment, we have modelled a situation at a football stadium via showing participants football-themed video clips that would persuade them to react in a positive or negative way. Afterwards, the participants were asked to fill in questionnaires, which are aimed at describing their emotional response and self-evaluating their behavior. This study has shown that there is a direct statistically proven connection between the emotional response of a football fan and their subjectively estimated settling time. Projective techniques such as the Hand Test of Edwin Wagner and a modified version of Lüscher Colour Test proposed by Liudmila Sobchik were used to indicate a steady decrease in affective ratio and emotional excitement of a group which was taught a self-regulation technique. The complex psychophysiological assessment of football fans, including the measurement of heart rate, galvanic skin responses, and a photoplethysmography has shown the photoplethysmography to be the most reliable method of indicating the directional change of an emotional state. As a result, it became clear that it is possible to use this technique to develop self-regulation skills using biofeedback. In conclusion, the prospects of the current research is in enlarging the sample in terms of quantity and age, including extra psychophysiological markers of emotional states in our methodology, and approving a method of a self-regulation via biofeedback based on the plethysmography.