Skip to content
Culture & Religion

The Underdog Syndrome

Almost everyone cheers for the underdog, but why? Turns out it may be to maximize our pleasure and psychological gain when watching sports events.

Almost everyone cheers for the underdog, but why? Turns out it may be to maximize our pleasure and psychological gain when watching sports events. “If you’re pulling for the favorite, then a loss cuts extra deep, while a victory merely delivers what you thought you deserved. ‘Thus a utilitarian model would indeed predict the underdog effect,’ the authors observe.”


Related

Up Next