Analysis of Body Esteem of Female Collegiate Athletes

Dinucci, James M.; Finkenberg, Mel E.; McCune, Sandra Luna; McCune, E. Donice; Mayo, Tammy

doi:10.2466/pms.1994.78.1.315

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Even though many studies have found that female athletes generally have more positive body image and higher self esteem than female non-athletes (DiNucci et al, 1994;Jackson and Marsh, 1986;Miller and Levy, 1996;Snyder and Kivlin, 1975), it does not necessarily mean that female athletes are not concemed with the consequences of weight training. For example, in the sport of female bodybuilding, it has been reported that there is ongoing argument about appropriate levels of muscle mass and discussion of the anxieties women have concerning body image (Balsamo, 1994;Bolin, 1992;Hong, 1984, 1996;Gutherie and Castelnuovo, 1992;Klein, 1993;Lowe, 1998).…”

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confidence: 86%

Gender comparisons in weight training for collegiate sports

1999

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This paper examines one of the factors popularly believed to have discouraged young women from participating in collegiate sports: the fear that their physiques may become unattractive due to the regimen of physical training, such as weight lifting, required in such sports. Based on a study of all the athletes at a private university in the western USA, we found that in comparison with males, female athletes did express greater concern. However, in spite of that fear, they are more rigorous than their male counterparts in weight training. Physical training may have different meanings for the two sexes. Regression analyses, supplemented with qualitative data, show that, for the women, the most important motivation for physical training appears to be the enjoyment that they receive from having a strong body. Among the male athletes, the closest to being a significant factor is that they view weight training as a means to attain a masculine image. It appears that the psychological pathways to physicality for male and female may be quite different. They run against the traditional directions on instrumental and expressive orientations.While women are participating in competitive sports in unprecedented numbers since the advent of Title IX, some collegiate female athletes find themselves in a quandary over the consequences of the weight training regimens required by their participation. Training to build muscle mass is now a required element for participating in most NCAA Division I sports programs. This training produces a stronger body which coaches and athletes in most sports believe gives advantage in competition. The results of this training for women, however, may include developing a level of muscularity that deviates from one of the contemporary cultural ideal body types promoted by those who hold traditional definitions of femininity. In her article on the postmodern female body, Markula (1995) depicts this ideal in the title: Robert W. Duff is professor of sociology at the University of Portland. In addition to the sociology of sport, he has been researching the subculture of the elderly in retirement communities. Lawrence K. Hong is professor of sociology at California State University, Los Angeles. He has published articles on aging, sexuality, and popular culture. W. Stephen Royce is associate professor of psychology at the University of Portland. His interests include social learning, behavior management, and psychological assessment.

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confidence: 86%

Gender comparisons in weight training for collegiate sports

1999

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“…Sense of worth affects self-confidence and if female athletes in particular are more vulnerable to weight concerns and negative feedback, coaches should be educated in ways to evaluate and instruct female athletes in a manner that will support their sense of worth and build upon their strengths. Even though female athletes typically score higher than non-athletes in this area (DiNucci et al 1994;LaFountaine, 2007), the fact that they scored significantly lower than the male athletes (and a smallto-moderate effect size was found), provides evidence that training, feedback and evaluation techniques may need to differ when coaching females.…”

Section: Athlete Wellness and Sense Of Worthmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Sense of worth was assessed through a series of five questions that related to one's ability to be "real" with others, to feel worthwhile despite imperfections and to enjoy one's uniqueness. Research indicates that female athletes overall have a positive body image and increased levels of self-esteem when compared to female non-athletes (DiNucci, Finkenberg, McCune, McCune & Mayo, 1994;Marsh & Jackson, 1986;Miller & Levy, 1996;Snyder & Kivlin, 1975). However, according to Conner, Johnson, and Grogan (2004), Caucasian female athletes do not normally have the same level of self-esteem as male athletes.…”

Section: Athlete Wellness and Sense Of Worthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student Athlete Wellness: Gender Perspectives

LaFountaine

2009

Journal of Coaching Education

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A study of wellness aspects among college student athletes at a mid-sized, church-related, undergraduate, liberal arts college in the upper Midwest was conducted during the 2006-2007 school year. The students were asked by their coaches and team leaders to complete the Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle tool online. The study sample consisted of 273 college athletes, of which 131 were female and 142 were male. Female college athletes had the highest scores in the following areas: exercise, friendship, and love. The lowest areas were: spirituality, stress Management, nutrition and total wellness. The female athletes scored lower in 14 out of the 20 wellness behavior categories than the male athletes. In the areas of sense of worth, leisure and stress management, female athletes scored significantly lower than the male athletes. Male athletes scored the highest in the areas of exercise, sense of worth and friendship. Male athletes recorded their lowest scores in spirituality, nutrition, work and total wellness. The implications of this study for athletic programs indicate a need to address the specific needs of female athletes compared to male athletes, particularly tactics for dealing with stress, building self-esteem and the use of leisure activities.

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“…Franzoi and Shields (1984) suggested that body image consists of three aspects: sexual attractiveness, weight concern, and physical condition. Research on the relationship between body image and sport participation has yielded conflicting results, with some studies indicating that sport participation leads to a more favorable body image for young women (DiNucci, Finkenberg, McCune, & McCune, 1994;Rao & Overman, 1986;Snyder & Kivlin, 1975) and others indicating that sport participation actually has a negative impact on young women's body image (Davis, 1992;Davis & Cowles, 1991). The main qualification that can be made of the studies findlng a negative relationship between sport participation and body image is that over 75% of the participants in the athletic group were involved in sports that could be classified as "traditionally feminine" (e.g., gymnastics, tennis).…”

Section: Body Imagementioning

confidence: 99%

IF YOU LET ME PLAY SPORTS: How Might Sport Participation Influence the Self-Esteem of Adolescent Females?

Richman¹,

Shaffer²

2000

Psychology of Women Quarterly

137

127

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This study tests a model specifylng that girls' precollege participation in sporting activities will foster positive body images, enhanced perceptions of physical competence, and more flexible gender identities, which, in turn, predict higher college self-esteem. A sample of 220 college females (mean age = 19.65 years) provided retrospective reports of their precollege sport involvement and contemporaneous assessments of body image, perceived physical competencies, gender identity, global self-esteem, and other psychosocial variables. Consistent with prior reports on male and mixed-gender samples, greater precollege sport participation predicted higher self-esteem in this exclusively female sample. Follow-up path analyses and tests for mediation revealed that the model's intervening variables totally mediated the sport participatiodself-esteem relationship. The patterning of these data implies that participating in sports promotes females' self-worth by fostering physical competencies, favorable body images, and gender flexibility, and, in the absence of any such psychosocial benefits, participation in sports has little salutary effect on and can even undermine self-esteem.

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Analysis of Body Esteem of Female Collegiate Athletes

Cited by 17 publications

References 4 publications

Gender comparisons in weight training for collegiate sports

Gender comparisons in weight training for collegiate sports

Student Athlete Wellness: Gender Perspectives

IF YOU LET ME PLAY SPORTS: How Might Sport Participation Influence the Self-Esteem of Adolescent Females?

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