The relationship between the written behavior responses of college females competing in selected varsity sports and non-participants.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between human behavior and female participation in specific athletic activities as measured by the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation Behavior (FIRO-B) scales. Method of Research: Fifty-two female athletes who participated on one or more of the five sanctioned and supported intercollegiate athletic teams for undergraduate female students at Emporia Kansas State College (E.K.S.C.) during the 1974-1975 school year composed approximately one-half of the subjects who were used to test the hypothesis of the study. The remaining one-half of the subjects used to test the hypothesis of the study was composed of fifty-one randomly selected females who were undergraduate students at E.K.S.C. during the spring semester of the 1974-1975 school year and who did not participate on any one of the five intercollegiate athletic teams for women at the institution stated above for the given school year. Each of the 103 subjects was asked to complete the fifty-four items on the FIRO-B scales which were administrated by the investigator of the study. The difference between the 103 subjects' written responses given to the fifty-four items on the FIRO-B scales was used as the test data. Analysis of variance was utilized to determine statistical significance at the .05 level. Conclusions: (1) Athletes express a greater need for including people in whatever they may be doing and for having people around them, as compared to non-athletes, because of their differing behavior. (2) Athletes' need for wanting to be invited and included by more people in their "things" and activities is greater than non-athletes' need for wanting inclusion because of the behavior difference between the two groups. ()) Athletes and non-athletes do not differ significantly in their behavior in regard to the need for controlling other people. (4) Athletes want more control in decision-making processes, as compared to non-athletes, but athletes do not want as much control as nonathletes want over the influences on their actions. These factors are due to the difference between the two groups' behavior. (5) Athletes and non-athletes do not differ significantly in their behavior in regard to the need for expressing affection toward others. (6) Athletes appear to have less desire for and liking or wanting of closeness or affection from others, as compared to non-athletes, because of the differing behavior possessed by the two groups.