Fort Lewis CollegeWith sociocultural norms in American culture suggesting that muscularity is associated with masculinity, men often strive for a muscular physique. Because the psychological research on this drive for muscularity has focused primarily on negative outcomes, our mixed-method study intended to assess the contextual nature of this dynamic by examining muscularity within a functional context (e.g., sport). We assessed the experiences of 197 college football players who operate in this "masculinized" context (e.g., Richman & Shaffer, 2000) where muscularity is viewed functionally (i.e., maximizing athletic performance, minimizing injuries). Quantitative results indicated that athletic identity and certain traditional masculine norms (i.e., risk taking, emotional control, primacy of work) were significantly related to the drive for muscularity among college football players. Qualitative results indicated that football players primarily cited reasons for their desire to be muscular that were related to athletic functioning, while also acknowledging social benefits of external gratification (e.g., physical appearance, conformity, sex appeal) that are more prominent in the drive for muscularity literature. Results of this contextual examination were interpreted within existing theoretical frameworks of social comparison theory, masculinity socialization, and drive for muscularity.

Music use in golf receives minimal attention from both applied and empirical perspectives. Golfers, coaches, and sport psychology practitioners alike may benefit from understanding and utilizing music within their work. Since music use in golf has become an increasingly common practice, the purpose of the current study was to investigate current music use among golfers using a qualitative approach. Researchers aimed to identify potential psychological and physiological effects derived from music use during golf practice and pre-performance, given the limited empirical research in this area to date. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten amateur and semi-professional golfers (five male, five female, Mage = 22.9 years, SD = 5.04 years). Consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology was used to analyze the interview data. Six domains emerged from the CQR analysis regarding participants’ self-reported music use in golf: tempo, attention, physiological regulation, psychological regulation, effects of music on performance perceptions, and context (to use or not to use). Given the capacity of carefully selected music to elicit profound affective, neurophysiological, and behavioral responses, there is clear potential for mental performance consultants to utilize music in working with golfers in training contexts. Implications, caveats, and future research recommendations are provided.

No abstract

Football presents a paradoxical situation for men due to persistent undertones of homophobia within a sport where men are encouraged to show their affection for each other. Specifically, men who participate in football are expected to uphold traditional masculine ideals and restrict emotionality, yet they frequently engage in affectionate behaviors (e.g., hugs, pats on the rear end). The current study sought to determine beliefs about demonstrating affection toward other men, conflicting gender roles, and attitudes about masculinity within a football context. Consensual qualitative research (CQR) was employed to explore the experiences of former high school football players, and the results yielded five domains: (a) views on man-on-man affection, (b) physical affection toward men, (c) football taught me what it means to be a man, (d) coaches taught me what it means to be a man, and (e) attitudes toward gay men. Results indicate that participants feel that men should demonstrate affectionate behavior freely, yet limitations are placed upon this freedom of expression. In addition, many participants reported feeling individually comfortable with a gay teammate, yet feared their team would not accept a teammate of a sexual minority. Public Significance StatementResults from this study help shed light on the nuanced attitudes about affectionate behavior between men held by football players. The unique context of high school football, the most highly participated sport in US society, paradoxically provides a venue where young men can learn how to express themselves to other men, in spite of the heteronormative and oftentimes homophobic atmosphere that exists in locker rooms and on the field. And this study revealed the potential for greater acceptability of gay teammates, which can help shift the narrative of spaces of acceptability for gay men in American society.

No abstract