Consuming Extreme Sports

About the Book

INTRODUCTION

The introduction presents the overarching research question denoting the entire book proposal:

"How do psychological drivers impact on extreme consumption behaviors?"

The overview of the book contents is presented highlighting the contribution of the single book section in framing answers to the general, guiding research question of the book. Further, the introduction specifies the focus of the book in terms of research setting and context, and particularly specifying which kind of consumer behavior it will consider (i.e., behavior of active consumer-athletes)

CHAPTER 1 - THE EXTREME SPORTS PHENOMENON: DUST TO GLORY.

This chapter describes the setting of extreme sports, tracing the origins of its emergence as a novel consumption phenomenon, through its evolution throughout the action of marketers, media, and societal changes. This chapter will provide the definition of extreme sports which will be adopted in the entire book.

CHAPTER 2 - I'M ON THE EDGE. PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON EXTREME SPORT PARTICIPANTS.

This chapter reviews the major theoretical approaches addressing individuals engaging in extreme behaviors, providing a multidisciplinary literature review and reviewing existing empirical evidence (both qualitative and quantitative) on the topic. Chapter 2 will present the basic psychology-based concepts that will be extensively employed and explored in the remainder of the book proposal.

CHAPTER 3 - LIVE (AND SPEND?) TO TELL. AN INVESTIGATION OF DRIVERS OF CONSUMER UPGRADING IN EXTREME SPORTS.

Major headings (draft version):

Introduction

Literature review and hypotheses development

Empirical analyses

Discussion of results

Implications for theory and practice

Chapter 3 addresses extreme sports' novel consumer importance providing a representation of the drivers of consumer intention to upgrade (i.e., the relationship with product/service provider(s)). Despite most of existing marketing research insisted on considering repurchase intentions as a major positive signal in the consumer-provider relationship, some authors suggested that, instead, it often is the decision to enhance the relationship (through higher merchandise spending, more equipment expenditures, higher purchase frequency, etc.) that signals a positive outcome of management of the relationship and increases value for the seller (Visentin & Scarpi, 2012). Such enhancement may comprise up-selling, cross-selling and, in general, an upgrade to the relationship with the partner or brand (Visentin & Scarpi, 2012).

The model developed and tested in Chapter 3 hence addresses consumer intention to upgrade in extreme sports, combining two separate streams of literature. A model branch addresses traditional sports marketing drivers of upgrading, well assessed in industrial and relationship marketing, such as loyalty, trust, satisfaction, and image related to extreme sports events.

Further, the model proposes that such constructs might work differently in extreme sports rather than in traditional ones, as extreme activities emphasize a sense of challenge, thrill, risk, and self-improvement and have been shown by psychological literature to induce different behavioral patterns. Thus, basing on two leading psychological theories examining behavior of individuals facing extreme challenges (i.e., edgework theory and cognitive adaptation theory), an additional, self-enhancement-based model branch addresses further drivers of the intention to upgrade, accounting for the unique psychology of extreme sport active participants.

Data were collected by means of a paper and pencil questionnaire administered to 580 athletes p
About the Author:

Francesco Raggiotto is Research Fellow in Marketing at the Department of Economics and Statistics, University of Udine, Italy. His current research interests are in tourism management and sport management. He has published extensively in various academic journals, including the Journal of Business Research, Tourism Management and the Sport Management Review.