Combative sport and warfare: a reappraisal of the spillover and catharsis hypotheses

Cross-Cultural Research • Vol/Iss. 31 • Published In • Pages: 249-267 •
By Chick, Garry, Loy, John W., Miracle, Andrew W.

Abstract

A replication of Sipes' (1973) study of the relationship between combative sport and warfare using new codes and a new sample. Although many of the results are weaker than found by Sipes previously, they are still consistent with the culture pattern model as compared with the drive-discharge model.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Standard Cross Cultural Sample (SCCS)CombinationEmber and Ember (1992) warfare codes and authors coded games and sports

Hypotheses (4)

HypothesisSupported
Following Sipes' methods as closely as possible, authors predicted that combative sports, both team and individual, will be positively associated with external warfare (255-56)Not Supported
Using all frequencies of external war, combative sports, both team and individual, as well as sham combats, will be positively associated with external warfare (256)Partially supported
Individual combative sports will be positively associated with frequency of individual and socially organized homicide in a society (256)Partially supported
Warfare of all types (external, internal and overall) will be negatively related to proportion of noncombative sports and positively related to proportion of individual combative sports, team combative sports, and sham combats.UNKNOWN