Growing into “Us”: Trajectories of Social Identification with College Sport Teams Predict Subjective Well‐Being

Abstract

Background: Groups are often a source of social identification that may elicit subjective well-being. When joining and maintaining membership of groups such as sport clubs, it is anticipated that members will experience varying trajectories of identification strength, but it is unclear how these trajectories may relate to well-being. Method: Participants were 697 college students (64% female), nested within 35 club-level sport teams. The current study longitudinally assessed students' social identification with sport teams at three timepoints (3-month lags) across a school year to examine the extent that growth trajectories in identification strength predicted indices of well-being (i.e. life satisfaction, happiness, and subjective health) at the end of the school year. Results: Multilevel latent growth modeling revealed that end-of-year well-being was positively predicted by social identification intercepts (b = .24, p = .010) and growth trajectories (b = .75, p < .001). Accounting for baseline identification, steeper increases in social identification (upward trajectories) predicted greater well-being. Conclusions: Findings support established theory that social identification relates to well-being, while adding novel insights that students may experience unique benefits when their social identity strengthens over the course of a school year. Considering recent declines in college student well-being, groups like sport teams represent a source for social identification that should be fostered throughout the course of one's group membership.

Well‐being of higher education consumers: A review and research agenda

“…Some lesser applied techniques include generalized linear multilevel models (Doerksen et al., 2014), multilevel latent growth modelling (Graupensperger et al., 2020), multi‐group analysis (Lee et al., 2020), multivariate general linear model analyses (Zhu & Shek, 2021), maximum likelihood estimation models (Salanova et al., 2009; Utkarsh et al., 2020), hierarchical linear modelling (Booker & Dunsmore, 2017) and cluster analyses (Valenzuela et al., 2020).…”

“…Positive and negative affect experienced by students as part of their university life is also an important indicator of subjective well‐being of student consumers (Fong & Loi, 2016; Lin & Yeh, 2014; Skead et al., 2020; Togari et al., 2008; Ward‐Griffin et al., 2018). Some scholars have also used measures of loneliness (Dyrbye et al., 2017; Smith et al., 2021), optimism (Collings et al., 2016; Lin & Shek, 2019; Sirgy et al., 2007), happiness (Goodmon et al., 2016; Graupensperger et al., 2020; Nowell, 2017; Smith et al., 2021), hope and envy (Maybury, 2013) in delineating SWB. Thus, satisfaction (general and domain specific), presence of positive affect and an absence of negative affect can together constitute the subjective well‐being of a student.…”

Social (Un)distancing: Teammate Interactions, Athletic Identity, and Mental Health of Student-Athletes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The role of social connections aligns with research regarding the contribution of sport group memberships to college students’ well-being. Team environments are closely linked to college athletes' individual and social identities, and athletes report greater well-being when they become more embedded in sports teams and develop stronger team identities [ 29 ]. Elite athletes also commonly seek out teammate social support during key transitions in their careers [ 14 ].…”

Sporting Resilience During COVID-19: What Is the Nature of This Adversity and How Are Competitive Elite Athletes Adapting?

“…Social isolation, conceptualized as an abrupt diversion in an athlete's career, could also trigger dissociations from athlete identity and negatively impact mental health (Brewer et al, 1993(Brewer et al, , 2010. However, evidence-based psychological support is crucial because student-athletes who received more social support reported better mental health and well-being (Graupensperger et al, 2020).…”