Sponsor
Kristie Payment, Ph D.
Ohio Northern University
Psychology, Sociology, and Criminal Justice
k-payment@onu.edu
Document Type
Poster
Start Date
24-4-2020 9:00 AM
Abstract
A 2x3 between-subjects design investigated the perceptions of success in male athletes based on their body type (husky or thin) and sport type (cheerleading, swimming, or wrestling). Sixty-six undergraduate students responded to a success survey after reading a scenario describing the athlete’s experience and specific sport interest, as well as looking at the athletes body type on a powerpoint slide. Results indicated a main effect of sport type, such that cheerleading led to a higher perceived success score than wrestling, but wrestling and swimming, and swimming and cheerleading did not differ. In addition, no significant effect of body type and no interaction between sport type and body type occurred. Implications of the current study suggest people perceive certain sports as easier than others and therefore perceive an athletes success to be based on that discerned difficulty level of the sport, despite their previous experience in that sport.
Recommended Citation
Barnovsky, Lauren; Leshnak, Sydney; DeWitt, Stella; and Hopson, Paige, "Effects of Body Type and Sport Type on Perceived Male Athletic Success" (2020). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 31.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2020/posters/31
Restricted
Available to ONU community via local IP address and ONU login.
Effects of Body Type and Sport Type on Perceived Male Athletic Success
A 2x3 between-subjects design investigated the perceptions of success in male athletes based on their body type (husky or thin) and sport type (cheerleading, swimming, or wrestling). Sixty-six undergraduate students responded to a success survey after reading a scenario describing the athlete’s experience and specific sport interest, as well as looking at the athletes body type on a powerpoint slide. Results indicated a main effect of sport type, such that cheerleading led to a higher perceived success score than wrestling, but wrestling and swimming, and swimming and cheerleading did not differ. In addition, no significant effect of body type and no interaction between sport type and body type occurred. Implications of the current study suggest people perceive certain sports as easier than others and therefore perceive an athletes success to be based on that discerned difficulty level of the sport, despite their previous experience in that sport.