Jack C. Watson

Sport-type differences in alcohol use among intercollegiate athletes.

Prior research has found that (a) intercollegiate athletes are especially “at-risk” for excessive alcohol consumption (e.g., Nelson & Wechsler, 2001), and (b) sport-type differences exist among college athletes in terms of yearly drinking prevalence rates (National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2001). No studies, however, have examined sport-type differences on more specific measures of alcohol consumption (e.g., drinks per week), or examined potential mediators of the relationship between sport type and alcohol consumption. In the present study, data were analyzed on 298 intercollegiate athletes from two different universities. Resuls indicated significant sport type differences on alcohol consumption variables, with athletes from the sports of swimming and diving reporting the highest levels of alcohol consumption. Results provided partial support for the role of positively reinforcing drinking motives in mediating the sport type–alcohol consumption relationship. Findings are discussed in light of prior research in the area of college student–athlete alcohol consumption.

A Cross-Cultural Psychometric Evaluation of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale

The Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) is a widely used measure of athletic identity (Brewer & Cornelius, 2001). Although the factor structure of the AIMS has been tested repeatedly in an American population, its psychometric properties remain largely unexplored cross-culturally. Therefore, the purposes of the study were to further test the psychometric properties of the abbreviated 7-item AIMS in an American population, while also exploring its utility cross-culturally. Results revealed the AIMS to be a psychometrically sound measure of athletic identity for male contact and collision athletes in both American and English-speaking Hong Kong Chinese populations.

Athletic identity and aggressiveness: A cross‐cultural analysis of the athletic identity maintenance model

Abstract Research independently examining athletic identity and sport aggression is quite extensive; however, the relationship between these variables has yet to be explored. Findings from both the identity literature and the sport fandom literature regarding team identification and aggressive fan behavior provides a foundation on which to hypothesize about the potential role athletic identity may have in the expression of athlete aggression (i.e., Athletic Identity Maintenance Model). Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the relationships among athletic identity, anger, and aggressiveness in competitive athletes and to assess cross‐cultural differences. Male athletes (N = 569) participating in contact and collision sports in the United States (n = 362) and Hong Kong (n = 207) completed measures of athletic identity, anger, and aggressiveness. Results indicated positive relationships among athletic identity, anger, and aggressiveness with differences in those variables found with respect to sport type and culture. Group comparisons yielded significant differences between lowly and highly identified athletes in both anger and aggressiveness

Student Recreation Centers: A Comparison of Users and Non-Users on Psychosocial Variables

Undergraduate (n = 561) and graduate (n = 104) students at a large mid-Atlantic university were surveyed to determine their usage patterns and beliefs about the climate of a newly constructed student recreation center (SRC) on their campus. Analyses attempted to identify differences between those students who used the facility (n = 547) and those who did not (n = 118) in relation to gender, age, year on campus, stage of change for exercise, and motivational orientation. Results revealed that SRC users were at higher stages along the transtheoretical model (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983) and were significantly more likely to have participated in high school athletics than non-users. Non-users were significantly more likely to live off-campus, smoke, and be female than SRC users. The discussion offers suggestions for enticing non-users to exercise and use the facility, and feel more comfortable while doing so.

Assessing the Impact of New Student Campus Recreation Centers

The student recreation center (SRC) at many colleges and universities has evolved from being a place to lift weights and take aerobics classes to becoming a high-powered recruitment tool (Colleges use recreation, 2002). The present study included the development of an instrument to assess the use and impact of SRCs. Students (N = 655; users = 537, nonusers = 118) were surveyed about their use of and satisfaction with their universitys newly constructed SRC. The overall findings revealed that a majority of SRC users were male (54.9%), felt more at home on campus since the construction of the SRC (61.2%), and felt that the SRC had increased their exercise frequency (79.9%). Forty percent of users adopted regular physical activity after the construction of the SRC. Non-users were primarily female (59.3%), had never visited the SRC (49.6%), and did not participate in any physical extracurricular activities (78.0%). Future SRC research should explore exercise patterns more thoroughly and link facility use to additional social and academic developmental outcomes.

Developing Young Athletes: A Sport Psychology Based Approach to Coaching Youth Sports

Youth sport is a social institution designed to help improve the health and wellness of the athletes and provide an opportunity for positive youth development. Coaches have a strong influence upon the benefits experienced by youth athletes. Given the importance of the coaching role, the purpose of this article is to outline several positive steps that coaches can take to help youth athletes develop life skills in the areas of leadership, autonomy, intrinsic motivation, and decision making.

Moving toward trust and partnership: an example of sport-related community-based participatory action research with Aboriginal people and mainstream academics

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the authors own assumptions made as academics using two examples from a research project with an Aboriginal community. The first attempt features a project that silenced the community. Later work engaged the community through tenets of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and a sport development project (SDP). Design/methodology/approach – This project explores a shift from a mainstream qualitative approach steeped in post-positivism to a de-colonizing methodology which opened up a space for a SDP. Findings – Mainstream research methodologies tend to silence marginalized communities and overlook local cultural practices. Effective community programming requires extensive consultation, and an approach that centralizes local voices. Research limitations/implications – Current understandings are limited to one Aboriginal Reserve. Practical implications – Recommendations are proposed concerning how researchers might embark on practices that...

Athletes’ Preferred Characteristics and Qualifications of Sport Psychology Practitioners: A Consumer Market Analysis

Studies assessing the perceived characteristics of competent sport psychology practitioners have resulted in skewed data, making it difficult to discern the relative importance of each characteristic. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the attributes of gender, ethnicity, interpersonal skills, physical appearance, athletic background, professional status, and sport culture in relation to one another using conjoint analysis, a consumer market analysis. College student athletes (N = 464) indicated a preference for a female practitioner whose ethnicity matched that of the athlete and possessed high interpersonal skills and sport knowledge, an athletic background, a physically fit body type, and had earned a professional degree. These findings can be used by sport psychology consultants to modify the information they give to current clients and to develop marketing plans to appeal to potential clients.

Mentoring: Processes and Perceptions of Sport and Exercise Psychology Graduate Students

Although it has been suggested that the process of mentoring provides a number of benefits to graduate students (Kelly & Schweitzer, 1999), documentation of these benefits is limited within sport and exercise psychology (SEP). Therefore, the present study surveyed SEP graduate students (N = 104) in an attempt to understand their mentoring experiences. Results revealed the presence of both formal and informal professional and peer mentoring. Overall, mentors were perceived positively, but multiple regression analysis showed that mentoring towards professional development was most predictive of positive mentoring evaluations. Peer mentoring was found to exist at a much higher rate than has been found in other disciplines. Participants preferred professional mentoring for areas of research and writing productivity, while peer mentoring contributed to their experience as a graduate student. These results preliminarily support the inclusion of mentoring into SEP graduate school programs.

Teacher-practitioner multiple-role issues in sport psychology.

The potential for the occurrence of multiple-role relationships is increased when professors also consult with athletic teams on their campuses. Such multiple-role relationships have potential ethical implications that are unclear and largely unexplored, and consultants may find multiple-role relationships both difficult to deal with and unavoidable. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the nature of teacher–practitioner multiple-role relationships. Participants (N = 35) were recruited from Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP) certified consultants (CCs) who were also affiliated with a university (N = 68). All participants completed a 28-item survey exploring the incidence and relevant issues pertaining to multiple-role relationships. Chi-square analyses revealed that licensed mental health practitioners (i.e., psychologists and counselors) were more likely than nonlicensed AAASP CCs to believe that multiple-role relationships were never appropriate in sport psychology, χ2(1, N = 30) = 12.80, p < .001, and to have never taken part in a multiple-role relationship, χ2(1, N = 33) = 12.44, p < .001. Independent samples t tests revealed that mental health practitioners also reported that they would have higher levels of concern for both the practitioner, t(30) = –2.77, p = .009, and the client, t(30) = –2.50, p = .018, in such a relationship.