To illustrate how researchers and practitioners can use the STPS to study issues related to sports team personality,
we examined the perceptual similarities and differences between teams within a league using the STPS as well as the
relationship between the STPS and fans' identification with their favorite team in Study 5. To map league structure,
we computed individual-level factor scores based on the six-dimension confirmatory factor analysis solution,
averaged the factor scores by team, calculated a Euclidean distance measure between all pairs of teams based on the
scores of each team on the six dimensions of the STPS, and performed a metric multidimensional scaling analysis on
the matrix of pairwise distances. Results demonstrated that a two-dimensional solution fit the data best, with a
badness of fit statistic (i.e., Kruskal’s stress formula 1) of .02 and a correlation between estimated and fitted distances
of 1.00. To interpret the two dimensions, we correlated the coordinates of the 20 teams with the factor scores of the
six dimensions of the STPS as well as team standings and the total number of points earned in the season. The first
dimension represented team performance, and a team’s placement on this dimension was strongly related to success,
talent, and entertainment (this interpretation is also supported by the objective performance measures). The second
dimension represented the non-performance aspects of the team, and a team’s placement on the second dimension
was strongly related to dedication, admiration, and care. (Note that a team’s placement along one dimension was
completely unrelated to its placement on the other dimension, i.e., r = .00.)