Psychological Perspectives

[BlueDevilRef]

In regard to the OP, you can't let them get to you. I started to last night but ended up realizing they (the fans) were idiots. I had a team getting blown out, a very bad partner, and terrible fans in a small quiet gym. Every call some fan was yelling at me and I was making all the calls . In a loud gym, would never have heard it and it wasn't to a point of getting the AD involved, though she was standing right there if I would have needed to. I started to think "am I missing a lot here" until we had a shot hit the top of board and come back down in play and all the monkeys started howling for oob. At that point, I realized the idiots didn't even know that rule and to stop sweating their opinions. All said, have confidence in your ability to be a neutral arbiter and don't worry about the idiots howling.

[LRZ]

Originally Posted by BlueDevilRef

In regard to the OP, you can't let them get to you. I started to last night but ended up realizing they (the fans) were idiots. I had a team getting blown out, a very bad partner, and terrible fans in a small quiet gym. Every call some fan was yelling at me and I was making all the calls . In a loud gym, would never have heard it and it wasn't to a point of getting the AD involved, though she was standing right there if I would have needed to. I started to think "am I missing a lot here" until we had a shot hit the top of board and come back down in play and all the monkeys started howling for oob. At that point, I realized the idiots didn't even know that rule and to stop sweating their opinions. All said, have confidence in your ability to be a neutral arbiter and don't worry about the idiots howling.

BDR, thanks for sharing the anecdote [no snark intended], but you read something into my query that is not there: I'm quite comfortable with my officiating and game management abilities, and I don't let the chirping undermine my confidence. I was simply wondering if there are scientific studies behind the concept I now know is confirmation bias. For that matter, no one knows better than I do when I've kicked a call--I don't need the monkeys for that.

[#olderthanilook]

Now that I've been officiating basketball for more than a decade, I wish I had at least minored in Sports Psychology in college. The behaviors of coaches, players, fans and officials during events is very interesting to analyze. There are so many factors that determine behavior.