Abstract
Objective:The present study examined changes in sport supporters’ psychological momentum (PM) during a simulated cycling competition through the lens of the dynamical systems approach. Design:Participants were asked to support one of two competing cyclists involved in a race that was displayed on a screen in a lecture hall. Method:The race scenario was manipulated so that the image of the supported cyclist underwent either positive or negative momentum. At regular intervals, participants indicated their PM perceptions during the race. Results:PM perceptions rapidly changed at the onset of both the positive and negative momentum sequences and then remained stable, reflecting negative hysteresis. Supporters tended to anticipate the future performance of a given athlete on the basis of their current performance. Moreover, this anticipatory tendency was stronger during the positive momentum sequence than during the negative momentum sequence. Conclusion:These results provide initial insights into how PM perceptions of sport supporters change during a competition.