Jesse A. Steinfeldt

Racism in the Electronic Age: Role of Online Forums in Expressing Racial Attitudes About American Indians

This study investigated racial attitudes about American Indians that are electronically expressed in newspaper online forums by examining the University of North Dakotas Fighting Sioux nickname and logo used for their athletic teams. Using a modified Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methodology to analyze over 1,000 online forum comments, the research team generated themes, domains, and core ideas from the data. The core ideas included (a) surprise, (b) power and privilege, (c) trivialization, and (d) denigration. The findings indicated that a critical mass of online forum comments represented ignorance about American Indian culture and even disdain toward American Indians by providing misinformation, perpetuating stereotypes, and expressing overtly racist attitudes toward American Indians. Results of this study were explained through the lens of White power and privilege, as well as through the framework of two-faced racism (Picca & Feagin, 2007). Results provide support to previous findings that indicate the presence of Native-themed mascots, nicknames, or logos can negatively impact the psychological well-being of American Indians.

Racial and Athletic Identity of African American Football Players at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions

This study examined racial and athletic identity among African American football players at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Negotiating the dualism of racial and athletic identities can be problematic because both roles are subject to prejudice and discrimination, particularly for student-athletes in revenue-producing sports like football. Results indicated that seniors at both institution types reported significantly lower levels of Public Regard and that lower levels of Public Regard predicted higher levels of college adjustment. Senior football players reported a greater acknowledgment that society does not value African Americans, and this acknowledgment predicted greater college adjustment. No differences between institution types in racial Centrality emerged, but football players at PWIs reported higher levels of Athletic Identity. By garnering a better understanding of the psychosocial needs of African American football players, these results can inform college student personnel who can prioritize facilitating student-athlete academic and life skills with the same attention given to ensuring their athletic success.

Religiosity, Alcohol Use Attitudes, and Alcohol Use in a National Sample of Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to investigate alcohol use attitudes as a mediator of the relationship between religiosity and the frequency of past month alcohol use in a national sample of adolescents. Data were drawn from 18,314 adolescents who participated in the 2006 and 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Variables included religiosity, alcohol use attitudes, and past month frequency of alcohol use. Structural equation modeling was used to test alcohol use attitudes as a mediator of the relationship between religiosity and frequency of alcohol use and to test model invariance across 4 racial/ethnic groups. Results suggest that alcohol use attitudes partially mediate the relationship between religiosity and frequency of alcohol use. Furthermore, while the pattern of these relationships is similar across racial/ethnic groups, the magnitude of alcohol use attitudes on frequency of alcohol use differed. Implications for prevention programs include targeting alcohol use attitudes in a variety of settings.

Role of Uniforms in the Body Image of Female College Volleyball Players

Female student athletes often desire a muscular body to be successful in sport, but this body type does not conform to traditional cultural norms of femininity. In this study, the authors qualitatively examined the experiences of female intercollegiate volleyball players to better understand their beliefs about their bodies—both as athletes and as women outside of sport—in addition to whether perceptions about their revealing sports uniforms were related to body image. Results indicated that body image among female student athletes is a multidimensional construct. Participants reported conflicting messages about their bodies in regard to how they look on the court and how they are supposed to look off the court. In addition, results suggested that revealing uniforms contributed to decreased body esteem, and these uniforms also distracted players and impacted on-court performance. Results are interpreted within the framework of objectification theory, and implications for psychologists working with female student athletes are provided.

Athletic Identity and Conformity to Masculine Norms Among College Football Players

Sport represent an influential institution of masculinity socialization that impacts the psychosocial development of many men in American society. In order to examine this dynamic, we investigated conformity to masculine norms among 523 college football players. Results indicated that participants’ conformity to traditional masculine norms was influenced by year in school, on-field position played, and athletic identity. Results of this interdisciplinary endeavor between the fields of sport psychology and the psychological study of men and masculinity can assist sport psychologists in designing interventions to help football players better understand messages of masculinity conveyed within the unique socialization context of football.

Gender Role Conflict, Athletic Identity, and Help-Seeking Among High School Football Players

Gender role conflict (GRC) theory emphasizes social influences on masculine gender role expectations that produce negative outcomes among men. Because sport represents an influential domain in which boys learn expectations associated with manhood, this study explored masculinity socialization among high school football players through the lens of GRC. At the p < .05 significance criterion level, multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and multiple regression results suggest that year-in-school and athletic identity predicted differential levels of GRC, whereas year-in-school and restrictive emotionality predicted help-seeking attitudes. Findings can help sport psychologists assist adolescent males in making lessons learned on the gridiron applicable to relationships, to the classroom, and other domains of life outside of football.

Perspectives of Social Justice Activists Advocating Against Native-Themed Mascots, Nicknames, and Logos

This study investigated perspectives of social justice activists who directly advocate for eliminating Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos. Using consensual qualitative research methodology, the research team analyzed transcripts of interviews conducted with 11 social justice activists to generate themes, categories, and domains within the data. The five domains included (a) deleterious impact of Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos; (b) reasons why members of mainstream society might support Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos; (c) reasons why some American Indians might support Native-themed mascots, nicknames, and logos; (d) frontline advocacy efforts; and (e) coping strategies for advocates. Results provided insights into the sociopsychological processes that allow the misappropriation of American Indian culture, symbols, and imagery in sport to continue to exist in society. Findings can help counseling psychologists understand the experiences of social justice activists while also highlighting ways that the field can support efforts to eliminate race-based mascots, nicknames, and logos.

Applied Sport Psychology Supervision Experience: A Qualitative Analysis

We examined the supervision experience of graduate trainees in applied sport psychology. Semistructured interviews conducted with sport psychology trainees were analyzed through the use of consensual qualitative research methodology. Three domains emerged from the analysis: programmatic factors, supervision process, and supervision content. The results provide insights (e.g., desired supervisor qualities) into the aspects of supervision that trainees feel address their needs, as well as instances in which the supervision experience could be improved. The findings may have implications (e.g., areas of potential growth for sport psychology supervision) for future research directions on supervision in applied sport psychology and could offer potential areas of consideration for current supervisors.

Attitude of Gratitude: Exploring the Implementation of a Gratitude Intervention with College Athletes

This study explored the implementation of a 90-min Attitude of Gratitude workshop among 51 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletes. Levels of state gratitude, psychological distress, life satisfaction, sport satisfaction, athlete burnout, and perceived available support in sport were measured the week before, immediately after, and 4 weeks postintervention. Significant increases in well-being (state gratitude, sport satisfaction, social support) and significant decreases in ill-being (psychological distress, athlete burnout) were observed postintervention. Results of this pilot study warrant further exploration of gratitude interventions in applied sport psychology. Limitations, practical implications, and recommendations for future research are discussed in light of the current findings. Lay Summary: Fifty-one NCAA Division I athletes participated in a one-time “Attitude of Gratitude” workshop. Following the workshop, student-athletes scored higher on measures of well-being and lower on measures of ill-being as compared to their baseline scores. Results encourage further exploration of positive psychology interventions such as gratitude in the sport context.