Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries

Rachel Malone 

MSc Cyberpsychology

I have graduated from UCD with a BA in Geography and Information & Social Computing. I have a keen Interest in social media and sport in relation to cyberpsychology. I have been involved in sport from a very young age. Some of the sports that I have been involved in are rowing and tennis.

Thesis Name and Description

The Correlation between gender and the level of Twitter reaction in high-performance sport.

This project looked at the social media platform Twitter and how people react to athletes performance. Qualitative research in the form of a content and thematic analysis of Twitter posts and comments were carried out on 5 male and 5 female Irish high-performance athletes. Social media platforms have enabled people from anywhere in the world to communicate about interests, such as sports. This research provides insightful information on how sports fans engage in sporting events on the social media platform Twitter.


Objectives of my Thesis

The present study set out to explore between gender and and the level of Twitter reaction in high performance sport. The research presents an insightful and comprehensive understanding of the onto Twitter during sporting events. A practical application of this study could be that sporting organizations and high-performance athletes could use the results to further understand fans comments online and the difference in engagement between genders


Outcomes of my Thesis

Results showed how sports fans use social media to express their thoughts and emotions on sporting events. This study highlights how sporting events reach beyond the host stadium.The major themes that found during this research included: Language, Celebration, Heritage, Emotions & Performance.