Whereas gender-related literature portrays an image of psychological struggle, role conflict and identity crisis for the female athelete, empirical studies indicate that female athletes perceive and experience a relatively low level of conflict, regardless of their age, level of competitive experience and the sport in which they compete. This study further supports these findings. 44 female powerlifters competing at the 1981 National US championship were administered questionnaires including a role conflict instrument. Factor analysis identified the four factors of emotion, attraction, the sport-performance component and the significant other component and showed the multidimensionality of the construct of role conflict. Further differentiation of this concept is necessary.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anthrop, J. and Allison, M. (1983): "Role conflict and high school female athlete ." In: Research Quarterly, 54, (2), 104-111.
2.
Balasz, E. (1975): "Psycho-social study of outstanding female athletes ." In: Research Quarterly, 46, 267-273.
3.
Barth, F. (1969): Ethnic groups and boundaries, Boston, NA: Little, Brown and Co.
4.
Berlage, G. (1983): "Differences in male and female athletes commitment to sports and its implications." Paper presented at the meetings of the North American Society for Sport Sociology, St. Louis, Missouri, October 1983.
5.
Duquin, M. (1978): "The androgynous advantage." In: C. Oglesby (ed.): Women and Sport: Myth to Reality. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger , 89-106.
6.
Eidheim, H. (1969): "When ethnic identity is a social stigma." In: F. Barth (ed.): Ethnic groups and boundaries, Boston, MA: Little, Brown, and Company.
7.
Felshin, J. (1974): "The triple option ... for women in sport." In: Quest, 21, 36-40.
8.
Frieze, I., Parsons, J., Johnson,P., Ruble, D., Zellman, G. (1978): Women and Sex Roles, NY: N. W. Norton and Co.
9.
Hall, M. (1980): "Sport. sex roles, and sex identity." Paper presented at the First Annual Conference of the North American Society for Sport Sociology, Denver.
10.
Harres, B. (1968): "Attitudes of students toward women's athletic competition." In: Research Quarterly, 39, 278-284.
11.
Harris, D. (1981): "Femininity and athleticism." In: G. Lüschen and G. Sage (eds.): Handbook of Social Science of Sport. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing.
12.
Hart. M. (1976): "Stigma or prestige: The all-American choice." In: M. Hart (ed.): Sport in the Sociocultural Process. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown Co.
13.
Kingsley, J., Brown, F., and Siebert, M. (1977): "Social acceptance of female athletes by college women". Research Quarterly48, 727-733
14.
Kohlberg, L. (1966): "A cognitive-developmental analysis of children's sex role concepts and attitudes." In: E. Maccoby (ed.): Psychology of Sex Differences, Stanford, CA: University Press.
15.
Metheny, E. (1965): "Symbolic forms of movement: The feminine image in sport." In: Connotations of Movement in Sports and Dance . Dubuque, IA: Wm. Brown Co.
16.
Monk, S. (1976): An Investigation of Self and Ideal-Self Profiles and the Dissonance Between them Among Hockey Players. Masters Thesis. Pennsylvania State University. State College, PA.
17.
Nixon, H., Maresca, P., and Silverman, M. (1979): "Sex differences in college students' acceptance of females in sport." In: Adolescence14, 755-764.
18.
Sage, G. and Loudermilk, S. (1979): "The female athlete and role conflict." In: Research Quarterly50, 88-96.
19.
Selby, R. and Lewko, J. (1976): "Children's attitudes towards females in sport: Their relationship with sex, grade, and sports participation." In: Research Quarterly47, 453-463.
20.
Snyder, E. and Kivlin, J. (1975): Women athletes and aspects of psychological well-being ." In: Research Quarterly46, 191-199.
21.
Stewart, A., and Platt, A. (1982): "Studying women in a changing world: An introduction ." In: Journal of Social Issues, 38, (1), 1-16.
22.
Ullian, D. (1976): "The development of conceptions of masculinity and femininity." In: B. Lloyd and J. Ancher (eds.): Exploring Sex Differences . London: Academic Press.
23.
Wentworth, W. (1980): Context and Understanding, N.Y.: Elsevier Press.
