Jennifer J. Waldron

Crossing the Line: Rites of Passage, Team Aspects, and Ambiguity of Hazing.

Framed within the psychosocial context of the sport ethic and social-approval goal orientation, 10 female and 11 male current collegiate or former high school athletes participated in individual interviews about their hazing experiences. Data analysis resulted in seven lower order themes and two higher order themes. The higher order theme of the general aspects of hazing included types of, factors influencing, reasons for, and the effects of hazing. The higher order theme of hazing as deviant overconformity included rites of passage, hazing and the team, and the ambiguity of hazing. Results indicated that athletes reported engaging in risky, hazing behaviors and that both the values of sport as well as the desire to be accepted by teammates encouraged hazing.

Whatever it Takes: Health Compromising Behaviors in Female Athletes

The power and performance model of sport stresses a sport ethic of doing “whatever it takes” to win (Coakley, 2004). Uncritical acceptance of this model may lead to various health-compromising behaviors. Employing achievement goal theory, we examine why female athletes may adopt the power and performance approach. An ego motivational climate and a strong social approval goal orientation may encourage girls and women to engage in unhealthy and risky behaviors in pursuit of success. Athletes in an ego-involving climate may be at risk of using their bodies as a machine, unhealthy eating, and steroid use. Athletes with a strong social approval orientation may engage in unhealthy behaviors, such as binge drinking and hazing, in their quest for acceptance by teammates, coaches, and parents.

Duct tape, icy hot & paddles: narratives of initiation onto US male sport teams

In the United States, initiation or hazing activities in high school and university sport are increasingly being recognized as a serious issue facing coaches and sport administrators. These events include humiliation, degradation or abuse of new team members, presumed to enhance team bonding. This study is grounded in Waldron and Kranes conceptual framework linking social goal orientation and overconformity to team norms. We conducted focus group interviews with nine former male high-school athletes examining their hazing experiences. A narrative approach to the data analysis was used to provide a comprehensive account of their combined experiences. The data were integrated into monologues describing experiences of being hazed, one positively perceived and one negatively perceived experience. A third monologue presents the perspective of the athlete doing the hazing. These stories highlight the perceived rationale and acceptance of hazing, the emotional toll of being hazed and the power dynamics that allow hazing to continue.

Perspectives of Fitness and Health in College Men and Women

Because many college students engage in low levels of physical activity, the current study used a qualitative framework to interview 11 college students to examine the meaning physically active college students assign to the practice of fitness and health. Students discussed the importance of healthy eating, but that it was difficult to accomplish at college. Additionally, students intertwined health and fitness with physical appearance and attractiveness. In particular, the media shaped many of their perceptions of health and fitness. Implications of these findings to policy making in higher education, in particular wellness programming, are highlighted.

Influence of Involvement in the Girls on Track Program on Early Adolescent Girls' Self-Perceptions

The Model of Competence Motivation (Harter, 1978) highlights how self-perceptions are influenced by individual and socialization factors. Using this model, the present study investigated, quantitatively with a pretest and posttest design (N = 34) and qualitatively via individual interviews (N = 8), how involvement in the Girls on Track program (GOT) influenced the perceived competence and self-worth of sixth-grade girls. GOT is a program that uses training for a 5-km race as a means to teach life skills. The self-perceptions of the participants showed increasing trends from pre- to posttest. Interviewed girls discussed their acquisition of interpersonal skills and of positive feelings about themselves. The discussion emphasizes how program involvement can influence the development of self-perceptions in early adolescent girls.

A Social Norms Approach to Hazing Prevention Workshops

Hazing is a common occurrence on sport teams and many athletes fear isolation if they speak out against it. Additionally, at many schools, prevention efforts are minimal. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to propose the use of the social norms approach to create hazing prevention programs. A five-step process (Berkowitz, 2003)—(a) notice the event, (b) interpret the behaviors as a problem, (c) feel responsible for the solution, (d) acquire skills to act, and (e) intervene—will be explored, including suggestions for discussion. By using interactive discussions, the ultimate goal is to change team norms and have athletes intervene when hazing arises.

Predictors of Mild Hazing, Severe Hazing, and Positive Initiation Rituals in Sport

Hazing is any degrading or abusive behavior required to be socially accepted on a sports team. Theoretically, hazing is a symptom of the hierarchy and social dominance of the sport environment. The current study examined the influence of competitive level, gender, athletic identity, sport type, and team norms on participating in mild hazing, severe hazing, and positive initiations. High school (n = 126) and college athletes (n = 161) from a variety of sports completed an online survey. Approximately 50% of the sample participated in either a mild and/or severe hazing act. Three logistic regression analyses indicated that greater team norms and being a college student increased the odds of experiencing a mild hazing, severe hazing, or a positive initiation ritual. Sport psychology consultants and coaches need to proactively work to change degrading norms of hazing to joyful norms emphasizing respect and unity.

The influence of teacher-initiated reminders on the attainment ofstudents' aerobic fitness goals

Goal setting in the physical education classroom can be a successful technique to enhance motivation, increase effort, and improve performance. A critical component of effective goal setting is providing feedback. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine the influence of teacher-initiated reminders of the goal on the attainment of self-set aerobic goals in physical education classes. This study was quasiexperimental in nature and used a nonrandomized pretest-posttest, control group design to carry out the procedures. Participants were from two fifth grade classes: one class was designated the experimental group (n = 15) and the other was the control group (n = 16). Participants completed the aerobic fitness pre-test and then created their aerobic fitness goal. Participants completed two cardio units each two weeks in duration with the experimental group being exposed to teacher-initiated reminders of their aerobic fitness goals, three times a class period; whereas, the control group was not exposed to any teacher-initiated reminders. At post-test, both groups completed the aerobic fitness test and determined whether their goal was met or surpassed. Results showed that more students than expected in the experimental group obtained their goal, which was not the case with the control group. Specifically, 80% of students in the experimental group surpassed their goal and only 56% of those in the control group surpassed their goal. The results suggest that keeping goals in focus through feedback can increase attainment. Overall, these results can serve to help physical educators use an effective goal setting to increase the success of their students.