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Removing the vulnerability of a stereotype threat can weaken the stereotype’s negative influence. However, stereotype threats can be produced simply by reminding individuals of their stigmatized social identity. In this study, a typical explicit stereotype threat was compared with two types of reports on positive role models to determine whether the influence of stereotypes varied according to the type of report. In total, 178 college athletes were recruited and randomly assigned to the explicit threat group (EX group, n = 46), report on a special case group (RS group, n = 42), report on a general topic group (RG group, n = 46), or neutral report group (control, n = 44). The participants first read a short text with manipulated context. They then completed scales assessing career adaptability and optimism and were asked to choose whether to complete a scholastic test with high or low difficulty or not take the test at all. The career adaptability and optimism scores of the control group were higher than those of the RS and EX group. The career optimism scores of the RG group were higher than those of the EX group. Fewer participants opted for the difficult version of the scholastic text in the EX and RS groups; the majority of participants in these groups chose to not take any test. The results indicated the influence of negative stereotype threats and indicated that reading the news report on the special case did not have a positive and encouraging effect on the participants.

This study presents a systematic literature review of research evaluating components of athletic identity in participating NCAA Division I, II, and III athletes. Publications were gathered from six databases: APA PsycINFO, APA PsycARTICLES, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, ERIC, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus. 26 records met the criteria for inclusion. Four themes were analyzed in the research: academic factors, demographic factors, sport-specific factors, and psychological factors. Study limitations and recommendations for future research are assessed, such as challenges associated with self-report instruments and benefits of employing a longitudinal research design. Recommendations for practitioners and staff are also discussed.

The current study consisted of 4,116 student-athletes (Mage = 19.84; women = 66.9%; White = 78.2%) to achieve two purposes when considering the disrupting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of collegiate sports. First, I examined the relationship between gender, race/ethnicity, competition level, and athletic identity. Though there were no significant differences across NCAA Divisional levels, I found a significant gender by race interaction with Black male athletes reporting stronger athletic identities compared to White male and female athletes as revealed by post-hoc analyses. Second, I examined the relationship between athletic identity and psychological distress and found that when social support and self-compassion are both low, there is a moderate, positive relationship between athletic identity and psychological distress for the White female athletes. Additionally, there were main effects for self-compassion and social support where higher levels were related to lower psychological distress among the White female athletes and Latino/a athletes. For the Black male athletes, there was a main effect for only self-compassion. There was a significant self-compassion by social support interaction for the Black female athletes and White male athletes, suggesting that when self-compassion is low, or high, there are higher levels of psychological distress experienced when social support is low. Implications of the findings, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

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Student athletes (SAs) are faced with multiple hurdles upon stepping onto campus, including balancing their lives as a student with that of being an athlete for 20 or more hours per week. SAs typically maintain weekly physical activity (PA) recommendations as a by-product of participation in one’s sport. Because most SAs have high athletic identity, which remains fairly consistent throughout their lives, many incorrectly assume this will translate into a high exercise identity and greater PA throughout their life spans. Certainly, the challenge is how to assist SAs in transitioning from athlete to exerciser. Based on findings from previous research on barriers to maintaining healthy PA levels faced by student-athletes as they transition out of sport, the purpose of this study is to examine the components of resources that can help individuals navigate this transition. Phase I of the study was quantitative in nature and examined the relationship between athletic identity and exercise identity; the relationship was not significant; however, as expected, an individual’s level of exercise identity was related to one’s levels of moderate and vigorous exercise per week. Additionally, individuals with high athletic identity were more likely to participate in vigorous PA. For the purpose of the study, Phase II involved conducted hack groups (typically labeled as focus groups) to gain a deeper understanding of how practitioners can best serve athletes as they transition out of collegiate sport. According to the participants, attention should be given to the delivery method of resources. The most frequently cited form of delivery was that of a phone app with a social network. An app allows for individuals to access an online community of former SAs to not only process their experience but develop connections with like-minded individuals in the area. These connections were highlighted as a motivator for attending exercise groups and act as a form of accountability that may be missing from one’s life after the loss of one’s coach and/or team environment. Former SAs also reported the need for an increased awareness of one’s change in identity and help reframing exercise. Moreover, strategies to build community through authentic connection and shared values, along with assistance developing new routines and habits were deemed important. PA levels or one’s overall well-being may be positively influenced by these connections, but this remains to be studied in depth. The results of the present research indicate a need for attention on activities individuals enjoy rather than exercising for the sake of exercising. Experiencing positive feelings towards PA may in turn allow for increased present-moment awareness in the activity, leading to more enjoyment and potentially increased motivation to maintain PA following the transition out of collegiate sport. / Kinesiology

This dissertation focuses on the digital presentation of athletification, a process through which non-athletes incorporate an athletic identity into their self-concept. Although many studies have explored consumer behavior driven by team identification and how athletes manage impressions on social media, extant literature has devoted little attention to the symbolic meaning of virtual athletic identity and its impact on consumption from a non-athlete’s perspective. Using a multimethod approach, this dissertation is divided into three standalone essays and examines the following in the context of influencer marketing: 1) the use and role of digital athletic identity in building a digital self-brand; 2) the motivation and consequences of constructing a digital identity; and 3) the impact of a digital athletic identity on consumers. This dissertation contributes to the literature by constructing a theoretical foundation for athletification as a self-branding tool on social media and uncovering its influence on consumers’ attitudes and behaviors. These studies offer insights for social media influencers and marketers attempting to leverage their impacts on consumers. Findings also provide actionable strategies that could improve the promotional messages presented online. / Tourism and Sport

Retirement from sport is a process that unfolds over time in which athletes have varied experiences, ranging from seamless transition to psychological distress. Researchers have sought to understand the variables (i.e., athletic identity, social support) that contribute to successful or unsuccessful transitions, with athletic identity being one of the most frequently mentioned. Athletes who strongly identify with the athlete role at the time of retirement are more at risk for adverse retirement outcomes (i.e., mental health concerns, identity concerns, substance use). To date, few studies have examined the moderating effect of coping resources, such as social support, on athletic identity at the time of retirement. The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, we found that student-athletes who graduated and retired had lower athletic identity, higher alcohol use, and less perceived social support than their peers who continued competing four months after graduation. Second, we longitudinally examined the relationship of athletic identity and social support to the psychological well-being (i.e., life satisfaction and binge drinking) of collegiate student athletes who retired from sport. Neither T1 athletic identity nor T1 social support, nor their interaction, were related to T2 life satisfaction or T2 alcohol use in the retired student-athletes after controlling for gender and the respective T1 variables. Further, being female and T1 life satisfaction were the only significant predictors for T2 life satisfaction; T1 alcohol use was the only predictor of T2 alcohol use. Implications of the findings, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

This study considers the nature of the relationship between explicit stigma, athletic identity, and over-conformity to sports ethics and their impact on intercollegiate athlete’s negotiation of medical treatment, which refers to help-seeking behavior. This study potentially offers stakeholders insight into a broader view of college athletes’ ability to make decisions on how they take care of their bodies and to create a healthier environment for players to seek help for their physical/mental/emotional health. Statistical analysis included a review of descriptive statistics and binary logistics regression to explore the relationships among the independent variables consisting of over-conformity to sports ethic, athletic identity, explicit stigma, gender, and race, and testing the hypothesis about the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable, help-seeking behaviors. The sample was drawn from the athletic departments of a Midwestern NCAA Division I Research Institution and a self-report design was used. Convenience sample of 607 collegiate athletes representing 15 athletic teams was identified. The call for the study was disseminated by email and the survey was completed by the xxxx participants on Qualtrics. SPSS (29.0.2, 2023). Four assessment tools (Conformity to Sport Ethic Scale, Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, and Attitude towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Short) was done by the researcher. There are currently 498,165 collegiate student-athletes (278,998 male and 219,177 female), with an average of 452 total collegiate athletes per institution (258 male and 200 female) (NCAA, 2022). This collegiate student-athlete population is considered the “elite athlete” population, only consisting of 6% of the 8 million high school student-athletes that participate in the collegiate athlete population (NCAA, 2022). Because of the physical nature of sports, many of these athletes experience injuries resulting in temporary or chronic pain. (Amorose & Anderson-Butcher, 2007)The socialization process surrounding pain perception for athletes begins in early adolescence when young athletes learn that it is acceptable and even expected that they play through pain. and these behaviors may persist over the years (Stoddart et al., 2022). A sports culture influences these behaviors and can lead to health-damaging behaviors, including denial of injury, ignoring injury, and failure to seek medical or mental health treatment when needed. Health-damaging behaviors experienced by college athletes can lead to the need for psychological and rehabilitative services. Despite there being a clear need for help-seeking in college athletes, it has been reported that college athletes underutilize help-based services due to: lack of time, concerns around confidentiality and information being leaked to the public, fear of being misunderstood by health care providers, and some athletes not recognizing the need to seek help (Hilliard et al., 2022; López & Levy, 2013; Moore, 2017; Moreland et al., 2018). This study was constructed upon the hypothesis that factors including athletic identity, over-conformity to the sports ethics, and the experience of explicit stigma; influence athletes' help-seeking behaviors for physical or psychological issues.

The injury recovery process is a tumultuous journey many athletes experience in their playing careers. Previous research highlights the importance of injury recovery for collegiate athletes, as a lack of social support leads to mental illness, decreases academic performance, and low levels of self-esteem. Utilizing the theoretical lenses of social support, memorable messages, and the sport ethic, the current study investigated how injuries affect athletic identity, the role that coaches, trainers, teammates, and family members play in the social support process, how injury affects athletes' experience with burnout, and the memorable messages that athletes received during their recovery. Themes emerged from data analysis, including (1) athletic injury affects identity, (2) coaches, trainers, teammates, and family members have a significant effect on the social support process, (3) injuries, long-term involvement in sports, and negative coach interactions are potential causes for athletic burnout, and (4) athletes remember positive feelings related to messages but are more likely to remember the specifics of negative messages. These findings suggest that multiple factors work in tandem to affect the overall injury recovery process for female college soccer players. The paper closes with theoretical implications and real-world practical applications for athletes.