Aim/PurposeThe aim of the present study is to investigate how pre-game superstition and anxiety can drive the consumption and purchase of sports products and objects by triathletes.

MethodologyWe tested our hypotheses via a cross-sectional study on a sample of N=124 triathletes.

ContributionThe originality of our work stands in the provision of empirical evidence on the role of superstition and anxiety in characterized consumer decision-making of triathletes. Theoretically and practically, our results can extend our knowledge of the role of cognitive factors in consumer behaviors among athletes.

FindingsThe results of the Structural Equation Modelling provided evidence of our hypothesized relationship between pre-game anxiety and superstition, and cognitive biases. Pre-game anxiety increases the level of incidence of specific cognitive biases characterized by intuitive and implicit thinking, while superstition leads to more rational and personal cognitive biases, which affect their purchasing of sports products before games and competitions.