Social capital of winter sports games referees:Case studies from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

Abstract

This study aims to elucidate the impact of referee experience at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics on their social capital and social trust. Through factor analysis, a model was constructed based on four factors: “local trust and cohesion,” “community anxiety,” “participation in local activities,” and “interaction with neighbors.”

The results revealed that Hypothesis 1, “The social trust of referee groups has a significant impact on community anxiety,” holds true, as heightened community anxiety leads to a decrease in local trust. For Hypothesis 2, “Local interaction and social participation have a significant impact on the social trust of the referee group,” it was found that while participation in community activities increases trust, neighborly interactions may sometimes undermine it.

In contrast, Hypothesis 3, “Local interaction and social participation have a significant impact on the community anxiety of the referee group,” demonstrated that participation in community activities reduces anxiety, yet community anxiety promotes neighborly interactions.

Moreover, regarding Hypothesis 4, “Experience in refereeing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics leads to an increase in social trust through local interaction and social participation,” the results showed that referees with experience are better adapted to and equipped with stronger coping strategies for community anxiety, contributing to the maintenance of trust relationships. Finally, the study validated Hypothesis 5, confirming that such participation experiences contribute to the formation of bonding social capital (SC).