Why people are undefeated

I lost a debate in favor of an undefeated champion despite presenting the more reasonable argument and wondered "why do people favor the undefeated?" A spark of curiosity led to many other questions in my head. I did my research online to see if there was an already an explanation but found nothing. I wasn't sure if it was because i didn't search thoroughly enough or that there wasn't enough scientific research on the matter. With that in mind, i decided to search for the answers myself.

Ronda Rousey, former undefeated UFC champ, shocked the UFC world when she lost against Holly Holm. I expected the sports world to judge skilled competitors more fairly than in the debating world but i was surprised at what i found. Strangely enough, Dana White defended Ronda Rousey by claiming she was stressed thus she couldn't perform to her uttermost potential (see the link below).

I've observed within the Sports world that managers give undefeated champions weaker opponents. This creates a rather unfair balance between less experienced and more experienced competitors. This type of behavior is found in many types of competition.

Why is this? Why do people seem to rationalize an undefeated champion's shortcomings rather than a standard competitor? What makes undefeated competitors so appealing? If we see a flaw in their talents, how would we respond psychologically?

With these questions in mind, i did my research and came up with the following hypothetical ideas. This type of behavior may stem from our early ancestors. At one point in ancient history, human societies developed until groups could favor one individual who fit their ideal perception of a leader (ex. strength, size, etc.) Perhaps favoring that specific leader was essential to their survival. Interestingly, certain neurons and neurotransmitters trigger defensive mechanisms when confronted with different opinions. The brain releases the same chemicals used to survive in dangerous situations. Rational thought is then limited, causing close-mindedness.

From what Social Psychologists have learned, we internalize the expectations of other groups into our own self images. We also associate certain traits with members of specific groups. This can create an "us vs. them" mentality and also creates stereotypes when we are ignorant of other social groups. Surprisingly, popular figures can influence us in many ways. For instance, a study mentioned in "Why Women Have Sex: Understanding sexual motivation from adventure to revenge" by Cindy M. Meston and David M. Buss shows that women are more likely to find a popular man sexually attractive based on the number of women who are already attracted to him.

I predict that we support specific individuals when they posses certain characteristics we value (personality, femininity, dominance, gender, strength, etc.) We then form an ideal image of that person in our minds. When they gain enough influence and eliminate competition by being the most dominant individuals, our beliefs are reinforced. However, it is mostly due to popularity rather than skill. When undefeated champions lose, we face cognitive dissonance. We can either rationalize it like Dana White did with Ronda Rousey or abandon our previously held beliefs. Our motives for defending an undefeated champion is to protect what we value most.



To test this hypothesis, i planned to give a survey asking a set group of people the qualities they valued and why they tend to favor those who are undefeated like Ronda Rousey. The problems i face is making a more accurate experimental design.

Hopefully, i'll be able to see the results in the near future along with the correlation between skill and popularity. I can only imagine the implications this will have on cognitive biases and social competition.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/12/dana-white-said-ronda-rousey-was-exhausted-before-holm-fight