Gestures and facial expressions of referees, athletes and funs in a soccer stadium: an analysis of images transmitted by television

Abstract

The processes of observation, description and registration of behaviors have been constant themes of discussions in the scientific area of competitive sport. The aim of this study was to analyze the content of non verbal messages implicit to gestures and facial expressions of athletes, referees and fans of a broadcasted soccer game. Facial expressions and gestures of athletes, referees and fans were classified as emblems, illustrators, demonstrators of affection, regulators and adapters according to EKMAN and FRIESEN (1969). The methodological procedures were developed by the researchers. The images transmitted by television were recorded in video, photographed with a digital camera Kodak DC 3200 and analyzed through the program Corel Draw 9.0. The scientific study of non verbal communication implicit to televised soccer images, which are crossed by the media clipping, gives evidences of an important field of study in the field of psychosociology of sport. The results reveal emblems with explicit verbal meanings, demonstrations of affections, and attempts for self-control. It was concluded that the study contribute to characterize the atmosphere of a soccer game as a show (actions, emotions and feelings which involve fans), where emblems and messages with religious meanings have an important role in the definition of soccer as a social and mental phenomenon permeated by subliminal messages, which insert the sport in analogous spheres to rituals, reediting the sport as myth.