“I Feel Pressure:” Exploring the Phenomenon of Body Image Formation in Collegiate Female Athletes Within the Context of Social Comparison Theory

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 2-26
Author(s):  
Ashley Gibson Bowers ◽  
Christina L.L. Martin ◽  
John Miller ◽  
Brent Wolfe ◽  
Nancy Magee Speed
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Social Comparison ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Division I ◽  
Social Comparison Theory ◽  
Comparison Theory ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Female Athletes ◽  
External Population

The purpose of the study was to examine female athletes’ perceptions of their body image as a result of comparing themselves to others. Social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954) was used as the theoretical basis for understanding the effects of body image among intercollegiate female athletes. Using a qualitative analysis, the authors individually interviewed 20 female collegiate athletes attending a Division I university and thematically coded their responses. The findings suggest that coaches and teammates significantly contribute to body image pressures in female athletes, as participants were sensitive to the comments and perceptions of these groups. Finally, athletes perceived that the external population (those outside of coaches and teammates) evaluated athletic talent based on actual body image.

Female Athletes in Retirement: A Test of a Psychosocial Model of Bulimic Symptomatology

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 490-499
Author(s):  
Stephanie L. Barrett ◽  
Trent A. Petrie
Keyword(s):  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Division I ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Psychosocial Model

Although researchers have examined eating disorders in female athletes, few such studies have been done with athletes who are retired, and even fewer have been quantitative. Thus, the authors empirically tested an established eating disorder theoretical model with 218 former NCAA Division-I female collegiate athletes who had been retired for 2–6 years. In retirement, participants completed measures of general sociocultural pressures related to body and appearance, thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, negative affect, and bulimic symptomatology. Through structural equation modeling, the authors examined the direct and indirect relationships among the latent variables while controlling for body mass index and years since retirement. The model fit the data well, supporting the hypothesized direct and indirect relationships among the variables and explaining 54% of the variance in bulimic symptomatology. Despite no longer being exposed to sport pressures that contribute to eating disorders, female athletes experience such symptoms long into retirement.

scholarly journals Are Women Coached by Women More Likely to Become Sport Coaches? Head Coach Gender and Female Collegiate Athletes’ Entry into the Coaching Profession

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matea Wasend ◽  
Nicole M. LaVoi
Keyword(s):  
Role Models ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Division I ◽  
Head Coaches ◽  
Head Coach ◽  
Entry Rate ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Female Head ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes

A plethora of research on barriers facing women in the coaching profession exists, but less attention has been devoted to female student-athletes’ transition into coaching. Some research suggests that female athletes who are coached by women are more likely to become coaches. In the present study, existing research is extended by examining the relationship between collegiate female basketball players’ post-playing career behavior and the gender of their collegiate head coach. Two research questions are addressed: (1) Are female collegiate Division-I basketball players who are coached by female head coaches more likely to enter the coaching profession than athletes who are coached by men? And; (2) If female basketball players do enter coaching, are those who were coached by women more likely to persist in coaching? Collegiate head coach gender did not emerge as a significant predictor of athletes’ likelihood to enter coaching, but logistic regression indicated that athletes who did enter coaching were 4.1-times more likely to stay in coaching if they had a female head coach. This study extends the scarce and outdated body of research on the potential salience of same-sex coaching role models for female athletes and provides baseline data on collegiate athletes’ entry rate into coaching, lending support to advocacy aimed at reversing the current stagnation of women in the sport coaching profession.

scholarly journals Psychometric Properties of the Contextual Body Image Questionnaire for Athletes: A Replication and Extension Study in Female Collegiate Athletes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany Stewart ◽  
Lisa Kilpela ◽  
Nicole Wesley ◽  
Kate Baule ◽  
Ronald Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Thin Ideal ◽  
Thin Ideal Internalization ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes

Abstract Background: Although the link between body dissatisfaction and eating disorder (ED) pathology is well-stablished in general female samples, less is known about correlates of contextual body image (CBI) among female athletes. CBI refers to female athletes experiencing body image concerns in two distinct contexts: sport and daily life (de Bruin et al., 2011). The Contextual Body Image Questionnaire for Athletes (CBIQA) measures four factors of body image (Appearance, Thin-Fat Self-Evaluation, Thin-Fat Others’ Evaluation, and Muscularity) in both contexts. This study sought to A) investigate the psychometric properties of the CBIQA, B) examine the prospective relation of CBI with ED pathology and negative affect among female collegiate athletes, and C) the degree to which CBI prospectively predicts ED pathology and negative affect in female collegiate athletes. Method: Using self-report data collected from a multi-site parent trial, we first examined the psychometric properties of the CBIQA by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis. We assessed construct validity via cross-sectional bivariate correlation analyses with thin-ideal internalization, negative affect, and ED pathology. Lastly, using data collected at Time 1 and 6 months later (Time 2), we investigated the degree to which CBI prospectively predicted ED pathology and negative affect.Results: Results from the CFA largely confirmed de Bruin et al.’s (2011) original factor analysis. Two CBIQA factors (Thin-Fat Self and Appearance) in both contexts correlated with ED pathology and negative affect. Thin-Fat Others also correlated with ED pathology in both domains and negative affect in the sport domain. The Muscularity domain was predominantly orthogonal with other measures. CBIQA factors were uncorrelated with thin-ideal internalization. Finally, when controlling for BMI and Time 1 scores, daily life and sport appearance concerns predicted ED pathology, whereas perceived evaluation of thin-fat by others in the sport context predicted negative affect 6 months later. Conclusions: Results support the psychometric validity of the CBIQA and suggest that this measure appears to capture variance discrete from thin-ideal internalization. The Muscularity factor largely was not related to other outcomes. Further, specific elements of perceived self- and other-evaluation in both contexts is relevant to risk for ED pathology and negative affect. Future research could examine the impact of dual body image between seasons and after transitioning out of sport.Clinical trials registration: NCT01735994

scholarly journals Psychometric Properties of the Contextual Body Image Questionnaire for Athletes: A Replication and Extension Study in Female Collegiate Athletes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany Stewart ◽  
Lisa Kilpela ◽  
Nicole Wesley ◽  
Kate Baule ◽  
Carolyn Becker
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Thin Ideal ◽  
Thin Ideal Internalization ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes

Abstract Background: Although the link between body dissatisfaction and eating disorder (ED) pathology is well-established in general female samples, less is known about correlates of contextual body image (CBI) among female athletes. CBI refers to female athletes experiencing body image concerns in two distinct contexts: sport and daily life (de Bruin et al., 2011). The Contextual Body Image Questionnaire for Athletes (CBIQA) measures four factors of body image (Appearance, Thin-Fat Self-Evaluation, Thin-Fat Others’ Evaluation, and Muscularity) in both contexts. This study sought to A) investigate the psychometric properties of the CBIQA, B) examine the prospective relation of CBI with ED pathology and negative affect among female collegiate athletes, and C) the degree to which CBI prospectively predicts ED pathology and negative affect in female collegiate athletes. Method: Using self-report data collected from a multi-site parent trial, we first examined the psychometric properties of the CBIQA by conducting a confirmatory factor analysis. We assessed construct validity via cross-sectional bivariate correlation analyses with thin-ideal internalization, negative affect, and ED pathology. Lastly, using data collected at Time 1 and 6 months later (Time 2), we investigated the degree to which CBI prospectively predicted ED pathology and negative affect.Results: Results from the CFA largely confirmed de Bruin et al.’s (2011) original factor analysis. Two CBIQA factors (Thin-Fat Self and Appearance) in both contexts correlated with ED pathology and negative affect. Thin-Fat Others also correlated with ED pathology in both domains and negative affect in the sport domain. The Muscularity domain was predominantly orthogonal with other measures. CBIQA factors were uncorrelated with thin-ideal internalization. Finally, when controlling for BMI and Time 1 scores, daily life and sport appearance concerns predicted ED pathology, whereas perceived evaluation of thin-fat by others in the sport context predicted negative affect 6 months later. Conclusions: Results support the psychometric validity of the CBIQA and suggest that this measure appears to capture variance discrete from thin-ideal internalization. The Muscularity factor largely was not related to other outcomes. Further, specific elements of perceived self- and other-evaluation in both contexts is relevant to risk for ED pathology and negative affect. Future research could examine the impact of dual body image between seasons and after transitioning out of sport.Clinical trials registration: NCT01735994

Copper Status of Collegiate Female Athletes Involved in Different Sports

2003 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sareen S. Gropper ◽  
L. Michelle Sorrels ◽  
Daniel Blessing
Keyword(s):  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Serum Copper ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Copper Status ◽  
Athletic Teams ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Collegiate Female Athletes

Copper status was assessed in 70 female collegiate athletes aged 18 to 25 years participating in cross country track, tennis, softball, swimming, soccer, basketball, and gymnastics during the 2000–2001 season. A group of 8 college-aged females, 20 to 23 years of age, who were not collegiate athletes, served as controls. Mean copper intakes including supplements did not differ significantly among the controls and athletic teams. Mean copper intakes including supplements as micrograms/day and percent recommended dietary allowance (RDA) were as follows: controls 1071 ± 772 μg (119 ± 86%), cross country track 1468 ± 851 μg (163 ± 95%), tennis 1099 ± 856 μg (122 ± 95%), softball 654 ± 420 μg (73 ± 47%), swimming 1351 ± 1060 μg (150 ± 118%), soccer 695 ± 368 μg (77 ± 41%), and gymnastics 940 ± 863 μg (104 ± 96%). Forty-one percent of athletes and 29% of controls failed to consume two thirds of the RDA for copper. Mean serum copper and ceruloplasmin concentrations were within the normal range and did not differ significantly among the controls (117 ± 22 μg/dl, 445 ± 122 μg/L) and cross country track (98 ± 17 μg/dl, 312 ± 59 μg/L), tennis (140 ± 84 μg/dl, 424 ± 244 μg/L), softball (95 ± 30 μg/dl, 310 ± 77 μg/L), swimming (98 ± 25 μg/dl, 312 ± 40 μg/L), soccer (93 ± 15 μg/dl, 324 ± 54 μg/ L), basketball (85 ± 10 μg/dl, 280 ± 62 μg/L), and gymnastics (96 ± 21 μg/dl, 315 ± 68 μg/L) teams. Copper status of female collegiate athletes appears to be adequate in this cross-sectional assessment.

scholarly journals Influence of Warm-Up Music Preference on Anaerobic Exercise Performance in Division I NCAA Female Athletes

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Corinne E. Meglic ◽  
Caroline M. Orman ◽  
Rebecca R. Rogers ◽  
Tyler D. Williams ◽  
Christopher G. Ballmann
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Anaerobic Exercise ◽  
Division I ◽  
Total Work ◽  
Active Recovery ◽  
Mean Power ◽  
Warm Up

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of listening to preferred versus non-preferred warm-up music on anaerobic sprint performance in Division I NCAA female athletes. Female collegiate athletes (n = 14) were recruited for this study. In a counterbalanced, crossover study design, participants completed two separate visits, each with a different warm-up music condition: preferred (Pref) or non-preferred (Non-pref). During each visit, participants completed a 3 min standardized cycling warm-up at 50 Watts while listening to Pref or Non-pref music. Following this, participants completed 3 × 15 s Wingate Anaerobic Tests (WAnTs) with a 2 min active recovery period in between tests. Motivation to exercise was measured immediately following the warm-up (WU), WAnT1, WAnT2, and WAnT3. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was also measured after each WAnT. Each visit was separated by a minimal recovery period of 48 h. Mean power, total work, RPE, and motivation were analyzed. Mean power (p = 0.044; d = 0.91) and total work (p = 0.045; d = 0.78) were significantly higher during the Pref music condition versus Non-pref. RPE remained unchanged regardless of condition (p = 0.536; d = 0.01). Motivation was significantly higher with Pref warm-up music compared to Non-pref (p < 0.001; d = 1.55). These results show that listening to Pref warm-up music has an ergogenic benefit during repeated sprints in comparison to Non-pref music and improves motivation to exercise. Listening to warm-up music prior to high-intensity repeated exercise may aid in optimizing performance and training in collegiate athletes.

Analysis of Sport Orientation of Female Collegiate Athletes

1998 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 647-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mel E. Finkenberg ◽  
F. Michael Moode ◽  
James M. DrNucci
Keyword(s):  
Women Athletes ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Female Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Sport Orientation

Scores on three subscales of the Sport Orientation Questionnaire were analyzed to assess whether competitive orientation of 40 female athletes differed from that of 36 nonparticipants and whether competitive orientation differentiated among athletes participating in different sports. Intercollegiate women athletes from three sports (basketball = 12; Softball = 16; and volleyball = 12) and a control group of 36 women who did not participate in athletics were respondents. Scores on Win and Competition significantly discriminated among groups. Scores of the control group were significantly lower than those of each group of athletes. No other comparisons were significant.

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