The influence of athletic identity, expectation of toughness, and attitude toward pain and injury on athletes' help-seeking tendencies

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Stephanie A Stadden, p (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Diane Gill

Abstract: "The present investigation examined the influence of athletic identity, expectation of toughness, and reported attitude toward pain and injury on instrumental and emotional social support help-seeking tendencies for the pains and injuries athletes experience during their participation in sports. This investigation involved the administration of a self-report survey to 222 student-athletes representing 12 athletic teams at two Midwestern NCAA Division III institutions. Targeted teams for participation included men's and women's teams of the three sports of basketball, ice hockey, and swimming. Results indicated that the expectation of toughness aspect of the sport ethic, which involved willingness to play through pain and willingness to make physical sacrifices for the game, along with attitude toward pain as something to be denied and ignored, negatively influenced athletes' help-seeking tendencies for pains and injuries experienced in sport. An athlete who experiences pain and injury and chooses to ignore or deny its occurrence places himself or herself at risk for experiencing more severe and potentially disabling injury. In addition, significant mean gender differences were found for expectation of toughness and instrumental and emotional social support help-seeking tendencies. Significant mean differences based on sport were found for athletic identification and expectation of toughness. It is clear from this investigation that athletes' expectations of toughness in sport, in particular, negatively influenced athletes' willingness to seek help for pains and injuries. Additional research is warranted to address what can be done to buffer the effects of the sport ethic and promote athletes' willingness to seek help for pains and injuries experienced during participation in sport."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2007
Keywords
athletic identity, expectation, toughness, attitude, pain, injury, help-seeking, tendencies, pains, injuries, athletes, participation, sports
Subjects
College athletes--Attitudes--Sex differences
College athletes--Psychology--Sex differences
Sports injuries--Psychological aspects--Sex differences
Pain--Psychological aspects
Risk-taking (Psychology)
Help-seeking behavior

Email this document to