The Correlation Between Personality Traits, Fan Identity and Risk Behaviour of Young People in Serbia

The object of the research was to investigate the relationship between personality traits (activity, aggression/hostility, impulsive sensation seeking, neuroticism/anxiety and sociability) with fan identity and risky behavior (health-risk behaviour and exploratory behaviour). More specifically, we are interested in whether the possession of certain personality traits leads to the development of a fan identity and a tendency towards risky behavior. The aim of the study was to determine the link between personality traits, fan identity and risky behavior of young people in Serbia. The sample consisted of 82 young people of both sexes, living in the Republic of Serbia, mean age AS=22.50, SD=2.91. The following instruments were used in the study: Zuckerman-Kulman Personality Questionnaire which is designed to determine the degree of expression of five basic personality dimensions: Activity; Aggression-Hostility; Impulsive Sensation Seeking; Neuroticism-Anxiety; Sociability, Fan Identity Questionnaire, which measures the degree of identification with a particular sports club and Risk Behavior Scale which consists of two subscales: Exploratory behaviour and Health-risk behavior. The results show that activity as a personality trait is positively related to fan identity, while aggression/hostility, impulsive sensation seeking, and neuroticism/anxiety are related to health-risk behavior, and aggression/hostility, impulsive sensation seeking, and sociability are related to exploratory behavior. People who prefer challenging and difficult tasks, show a lot of energy for work and for the tasks they are given, tend to be generally active and show a stronger identification with the team. Sports and spectatorship are some of the ways in which people who are prone to aggression, impulsive sensation seeking, and neuroticism can satisfy their need for adventure and excitement.