The influence of performance in esports and in-person soccer matches on first impressions of competency

The current study investigated how playing soccer in person (offline) or online (by the soccer videogame FIFA 21) affects first impressions of competency. There is limited previous research comparing impression formation in sports and videogame contexts. In a fully repeated measures design, we ran an online and an offline tournament of 4-a-side soccer matches (16 participants contributing n= 768 cases of data), where participants were asked to rate the likeability, decision making, leadership, initiative, and collaboration of the other players before and after playing against them. We found evidence that perceptions of likeability improved after playing against someone in any context, and some evidence that performance influenced ratings of competency. We found notable individual variability in rating tendencies and evidence that squad context impacted ratings of individual. We encourage research on soccer as an impression formation activity given its popularity as an everyday activity, and its fit for highly powered round robin designs. Future research should consider expanding this method with more online-offline parallel studies, open responses, and greater diversity of participants.