Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1988

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Educational Psychology

Major Professor

Marla Peterson

Abstract

Students participating in athletics at a major university are among the most visible and well-recognized individuals on campus. They receive recognition primarily on the basis of athletic skill, and often are regarded as being somewhat homogeneous in behaviors and characteristics. Assumptions based the label of "student athlete" form the basis for misunderstanding this population as a whole, and for disregard of individual differences among student athletes. Some previous research has suggested that the university experience of the student athlete may be different in important ways from that of the student in general, and that this experience merits investigation.

The present study was designed to investigate the experience of the student athlete and to provide direction for improved services to meet their needs. Seventy (40 male, 30 female) student athletes at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, responded to an open-ended item constructed by the investigator and completed the Mooney Problem Check List - College Form (Mooney & Gordon, 1950). The open-ended item simply requested that subjects list the problems that they experience as a student or as a student athlete. The MPCL contains 330 statements of problems found to be common among students in general; subjects were asked to indicated those which apply to them and to identify those which were most troublesome. It also contains items addressing willingness to seek help for problems and knowledge of whom to seek for help with problems. Comparisons were made for all measures based on sex, grade, and sport.

Open-ended items were sorted into MPCL categories. Evaluation of responses resulted in the creation of a problem category not represented on the MPCL. Labeled Athletics-Academics Conflict, this area represented the area of greatest concern to student athletes. Problem areas were ranked by frequency, and conparisons of number of problems reported were made based on sex, grade, and sport. Females indicated more problems than did males in the area of Health and Physical Development. Juniors and seniors indicated more problems than did freshmen and sophomores in the area of Social-Psychological Relations. Finally, Revenue sports participants indicated more problems than did nonrevenue participants in the area of Social-Psychological Relations.

Problem areas were ranked according to frequency of problems indicated, and comparisons were made based on sex, grade, and sport. Females reported more problems in the areas of Health and Physical Development and Personal-Psychological Relations than did males. Freshmen and sophomores reported more problems in the areas of Personal Psychological Relations, Adjustment to College Work, and Curriculum and Teaching Procedure than did juniors and seniors. The percentage of student athletes indicating each of the 330 problem statements was determined, and comparisons were made based on sex, grade, and sport.

Approximately half of the student athletes indicated that they were willing to seek help for their problems, but only about one-third of those willing indicated that they know to whom they would turn.

It is clear for the present study that the university experience of the student athletes is indeed unique. Implications for provision of services for student athletes in light of these findings are discussed.

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