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Journals / International Journal of Sport Culture and Science / 2026 / Cilt: 14 Sayı: 3

Not All Fans Engage Alike: AHP-Based Motivational Priorities and Incentive Factors Across Football Fan Social Media Engagement Groups

Tüm Taraftarlar Aynı Biçimde Etkileşime Girmez: Futbol Taraftarlarının Sosyal Medya Etkileşim Gruplarına Göre AHP Tabanlı Motivasyonel Öncelikler ve Teşvik Faktörleri

Can Çavin Ötkan(ANKARA ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SPOR BİLİMLERİ FAKÜLTESİ, SPOR YÖNETİCİLİĞİ BÖLÜMÜ)0000-0003-3800-4923
Pages
248–268
Publication Date
2026-09-30
DOI
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings validate the Lurker/Observer/Poster typology in identity-laden contexts and demonstrate that participation stratification reflects qualitatively distinct psychological logics corresponding to each group's motivational profile.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Participation in online communities is structurally uneven, and professional football clubs' social media audiences are no exception.
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Key Findings & Data:Using data from 512 Turkish football fans, participants were classified into Lurker, Observer, and Poster groups based on actual interaction behavior.
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Conclusion & Impact:These findings validate the Lurker/Observer/Poster typology in identity-laden contexts and demonstrate that participation stratification reflects qualitatively distinct psychological logics corresponding to each group's motivational profile.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Çevrimiçi katılım · futbol taraftarları · analitik hiyerarşi süreci

Abstract

Participation in online communities is structurally uneven, and professional football clubs' social media audiences are no exception. This study examines whether participation level can serve as a meaningful organizing principle for understanding fan engagement. Using data from 512 Turkish football fans, participants were classified into Lurker, Observer, and Poster groups based on actual interaction behavior. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to determine how each group prioritizes four motivational dimensions (information, observation, entertainment, and belonging), and five single-item incentive measures examined conditions that would shift participation levels. Lurkers prioritized information, observers prioritized observation, and posters prioritized belonging, with significant between-group differences across all motivational factors. Safe environment and exclusive content were most salient for lurkers, while acknowledgment and voice mattered most for posters. These findings validate the Lurker/Observer/Poster typology in identity-laden contexts and demonstrate that participation stratification reflects qualitatively distinct psychological logics corresponding to each group's motivational profile.

Özet

Çevrimiçi topluluklarda katılım yapısal olarak eşitsizdir ve profesyonel futbol kulüplerinin sosyal medya kitleleri de bu durumun dışında değildir. Bu çalışma, katılım düzeyinin taraftar etkileşimini açıklamada anlamlı bir sınıflandırma ölçütü olarak kullanılıp kullanılamayacağını incelemektedir. 512 Türk futbol taraftarından elde edilen verilerle katılımcılar, gerçek etkileşim davranışlarına göre Sessiz Takipçi, Gözlemci ve Aktif Katılımcı gruplarına ayrılmıştır. Her grubun dört motivasyonel boyut olan bilgi, gözlem, eğlence ve aidiyet arasındaki öncelik sıralamasını belirlemek amacıyla Analitik Hiyerarşi Süreci (AHS) uygulanmış, katılım düzeyini değiştirebilecek koşulları tespit etmek için ise beş teşvik faktörü ayrı ayrı tek madde ile ölçülmüştür. Sessiz takipçiler bilgiyi, gözlemciler gözlemi, aktif katılımcılar ise aidiyet boyutunu öncelikli olarak değerlendirmiş ve tüm motivasyonel faktörlerde gruplar arası anlamlı farklılıklar gözlemlenmiştir. Güvenli ortam ve özel içerik sessiz takipçiler için en belirleyici unsurlar olurken, aktif katılımcılar için muhatap alınma ve söz hakkı ön plana çıkmıştır. Bulgular, söz konusu tipolojinin kimlikle yoğun biçimde şekillenen bağlamlarda da geçerliliğini koruduğunu ortaya koymakta ve katılım farklılaşmasının her grubun motivasyonel yapısına özgü, birbirinden niteliksel olarak ayrışan psikolojik dinamikleri yansıttığını göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Ötkan, C. Ç. (2026). Not All Fans Engage Alike: AHP-Based Motivational Priorities and Incentive Factors Across Football Fan Social Media Engagement Groups. International Journal of Sport Culture and Science, Cilt: 14 Sayı: 3, 248–268. https://ajindex.com/articles/1498223

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