Robin Hanson links to some research that tells people what they already know, that rooting for underdogs is only done when you don't actually care about the outcome:
A pair of companies were vying for a contract to test the drinking water in far-off Boise, Idaho. One was a large, well-established firm founded 30 years ago; the other was an eager startup. … People were inclined toward the underdog. But … if the subjects were told that the water in question might contain “cancer-causing mercury,” the underdog effect disappeared. And if the site of the water testing was changed from “Boise, Idaho” to somewhere in their own community, … subjects started rooting against the underdog.
There are other examples, but they're all in this vein. Basically, if you think it won't cost you anything if the underdog wins, you'll root for him. This is obvious - no one who watches sports regularly roots for the underdog when his team is playing them.
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