What causes women to paint their nails and faces with Pittsburgh Steelers emblems and men to take their shirts off in below freezing temperatures and wear black and gold wigs?

Some local psychologists say a sense of belonging to a group is the big factor in keeping Steelers Nation together and wild, especially with the Super Bowl coming up Sunday, where the Steelers will face the Green Bay Packers.

Jennifer Sanftner, a psychology professor at Slippery Rock University, said people become fans partially because they want to belong to a group.

“I think it's just a lot of fun. I think there's just a real sense of belonging,” Sanftner said. “They just really make people feel like they are part of something. People are really invested in the team winning.”

Sanftner said regional pride is part of Steelers fandom as well.

“People are really proud to be from Pittsburgh, so they show that when they wear Steelers colors,” Sanftner said.

She said she often sees students at SRU wearing Steelers clothing.

“They want to show other people, ‘I'm with the Steelers,'” Sanftner said. “I think sometimes it brings us together.”

She said, although fans can be disappointed by a loss, it is not cause for concern.

“They really get upset about it. Of course, they get over it,” Sanftner said.

Richard Moreland, a psychology professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said a fan's self-esteem is related to the group of fans as a whole.

“The worse your self esteem is, the more you need the group,” Moreland said.

He said this can lead to fans acting out.

“People in groups often do things they wouldn't do on their own,” Moreland said.

He said there are two reasons this happens: One, people in a crowd feel more anonymous. Two, when fans are in a crowd, they usually focus their attention outward rather than inward. Focusing outward reduces ones capacity for guilt.

“In a way, you lose your conscience,” Moreland said.

He said this occasionally can cause dangerous behavior, such as violence and property destruction. An example Moreland noted was the trouble that happened in Pittsburgh when the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2009.

“And these are people who, normally, on their own, don't act that way,” Moreland said. “People like to point the finger ... but you have to keep in mind that you might have acted the exact same way if you were in that situation,” he said.