The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which heated the world with passion for soccer, ended on July 20. Many players that competed in the World Cup are known to have their own jinxes. Cristiano Ronaldo steps on his right foot first in every match. Harry Kane stops shaving once he starts to score goals. This phenomenon brings up a question: do these actions actually affect the result of the match? Sports matches are operated within strict rules, and the result is unpredictable. Then why is jinx considered as a condition for victory in the sports world? What psychological principles lie behind it, and how can we escape from the shackles of jinx?
The Meaning of Jinx: What Causes Them?
Jinx is a behavior believed to bring about a specific outcome, or such belief itself. There are two main causes of jinx. First, there is operant conditioning. Operant conditioning proves that a certain behavior can be reinforced by providing selective rewards to an individual. When an athlete wins a match one day, they perceive the trivial actions they performed on that day as conditions of the victory, reinforcing them into jinx. The second one is the relief of anxiety. According to the behavioral scientist Jane Risen’s “Believing What You Do Not Believe,” humans often refuse to modify superstitious behaviors like jinx, despite knowing they’re irrational in order to relieve anxiety caused by an uncontrollable environment.
Autosuggestion: A Double-Edged Sword
Though jinx is a mere superstition, it can influence actual outcomes in a good way. In 2010, Lysann Damisch, a psychologist at Cologne University, found through a series of experiments that jinx can improve an individual’s abilities. She observed subjects showed higher performance and concentration when they had their lucky charms compared to when they didn’t. The jinx acted as positive autosuggestion, increasing self-efficacy.
However, there are limits to the autosuggestion provided by jinx, and it can rather worsen the anxiety of the jinx holder. Supatcharin Kemarat, a sports psychologist at Thammasat University, explains the more an athlete depends on jinx, the lower their psychological stability. As they fall deeper into jinx, the fear and obsession about failing to practice it become stronger, causing unnecessary stress.
From the Jinx of Defeat to the Routine of Victory
While jinx has advantages, it also has a limitation of making individuals rely only on external factors. As an alternative, routine is often suggested. Routine is a series of actions practiced to activate one’s body and boost concentration. Routine helps perform the process more effectively by maximizing abilities rather than focusing on outcomes, differentiated from jinx.
Falling into jinx is not exclusive to athletes. We all face fear of uncertain outcomes and desire to seek comfort. In pursuing the best results, we can’t tell which one is better between jinx and routine. Yet one thing is for sure: we need the wisdom to understand our own state of mind and make choices for ourselves.
Jeon Soo-Min(ST Reporter)
suminjeon32@soongsil.ac.kr
