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Research Paper The Effect of Athletic Identity on Social Behavior and

Aggression in School Basketball Games

Article  in  International Journal of Scientific Research · January 2014

DOI: 10.15373/22778179/JAN2014/72

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Research Paper Volume : 3 | Issue : 1 | January 2014 • ISSN No 2277 - 8179

Management
The Effect of Athletic Identity on Social KEYWORDS : aggression, antisocial
Behavior and Aggression in School behavior, athletic identity
Basketball Games

Kazilas Haralabos Candidate PhD, German School of Thessaloniki Greece

Athanailidis Ioannis Assistant Professor, Department of physical education and Sport science, Democritus
University of Thrace
Proios Miltiadis Assistant Professor, Department of physical education and sport science., Aristotelian
University of Thessaloniki
Laios Athanasios Professor, Department of physical education and Sport science., Democritus University
of Thrace
Bebetsos Evaggelos Assistant professor, Department of physical education and Sport science.
Democritus University of Thrace

ABSTRACT The present study examined the effect of athletic identity on social behavior and aggression during school
basketball games as well as whether it could be considered as a prediction indicator for such behaviors. A total
of 156 students (86 boys and 70 girls) participated at the study during a school basketball tournament at the premises of Anatolia
College. A questionnaire was used to measure athletic identity, pro-social and antisocial behavior and aggressiveness and anger. Sta-
tistical analysis was done with SPSS 17. The following statistical analyses were used for results: Student t-test for differences among
sexes, mediation analysis for examining the effect of identity on social behavior and aggression and correlation analysis for the effect
of identity on antisocial behavior. For the rest of the criteria multiple regression analysis was used. Findings showed that the identity
affects antisocial and aggressive behaviors and that it can be considered as a predictive indicator of such behaviors. The study showed
significant differences among the two sexes regarding identity, antisocial behavior and aggression with boys showing higher scores
than girls.

Introduction show their absolute commitment to sports or to just win the op-
During the last years sports have become a vast area for re- ponent. Sport psychologists differentiate hostile from organic
search and studies on various social, antisocial and aggressive aggression. The primary aim of hostile attack is to evoke physi-
behaviors. According to Ewing (1997) and Seefeldt, (1987) cal of psychological damage to someone in order to achieve a
sports offer great educating opportunities and social develops specific goal, winning a game. These two forms of aggression are
youth. Metzl, (2002) claims that sports are highly valued by so- distinct in sports and especially in contact team or individual
ciety, so that many parents push their kids towards organized sports. The appearance of arrogant behavior such is “playing
sports from a very young age. Participation in sports develops with pain or intentionally injuring the opponent”, according to
and promotes social behavior and athletic spirit. Bredemeier, Aicinena Steven (2007) may be “based on the uncritical accept-
Weiss, Shields & Shewchuk, (1986) Romance, Weiss & Bocko- ance of athletes and their commitment to win no matter what”
ven, (1986) support that sports teach morality and develop vir- especially in competitive sports.
tues such are honesty, courage, self control, respect and justice.
Nowadays though, according to Hopkins & Lantz, (1999) sports Many studies such are those of Bredemeier & Shields, (1986)
show common anti-athletic behaviors on all levels of competi- Kavussanu & Roberts, (2001), Miller, Roberts & Ommundsen,
tive sports. Bredemeier & Shields, (2006) claim that sports (2005) have found that in sports moral maturity is significant-
enhance moral development but often is fed by a series of ob- ly different in boys and girls with girl athletes to show higher
served immoral behaviors related to sports such are, aggres- moral reasoning and higher scores than boys. Usually these
sion, deception and irreverence. Watching sport event or sports differences on athletic behavior are attributed to the current
news are enough for someone to realize that moral behavior perception that boys and girls are affected by various social ex-
in sports is not always obvious. For the reasons we mentioned pectations. According to Greendorfer, (1993), sports are a tra-
above relation between sports and morality is often a discussion ditionally manly area and are based on the stereotypical expec-
topic for contemporary society. tations for masculinity that are believed to affect men athletes.

It was already mentioned that sports enhance moral develop- Bredemeier & Shields, (1986) found that in sports moral ma-
ment. It is often observed that sports are related to aggression or turity differs in sexes and sport. Other studies though did not
deception (i.e. breaking of rules) in order for athletes to acquire find significant differences in these sub groups (Proios, Doganis
an unfair advantage, Lee, Whitehead & Ntoumanis, (2007). Ac- & Athanailidis,( 2004). With these various results it remains
cording to them deception includes breaking of sports rules and unclear whether if participants develop differences in moral
effort in order to avoid detection. The relation between sports reasoning and behavior in various sport types. Nevertheless the
and aggression has been studied for decades but researchers above mentioned studies have not examined athletic identity
continue not to have a complete picture of this relation although which is possible to affect the behavior of athletes.
many studies have proved its existence.
In recent studies of Kavussanu M, Willoughby A, Ring C.( 2012 )
Researchers in various scientific areas have been trying to im- athletic identity was examined to see how this reflects the level
prove and understand this relation through studies and meth- of morality and whether it is a determining or central charac-
ods within sports and society. In the first half of the 20th century teristic of the athlete’s self and not their athletic identity. What
many psychologists assumed that participation in sports may is athletic identity and how is it defined? In sports psychology
avert people from aggressive behaviors. Recent studies though “athletic identity is used to determine the level on which a per-
show the exact opposite, i.e. that participation in sport activities son is identified with the role of athlete” Brewer, Van Raalte,
is possible to increase aggression. According to Steven Aicinena & Linder, (1993, p. 237). Regarding the term athletic identity,
(2007), aggression is an internal unit based on disappointment according to Kent Μ. (1998, 2006, 2007) this is defined as the
and/or instinct and athletes may use aggression in order to level on which someone is determined as an athlete. The ath-

IJSR - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 219

 Volume : 3 | Issue : 1 | January 2014 • ISSN No 2277 - 8179
Research Paper

letic identity is a social construction and is affected by the opin- ises of Anatolia College from 28/11 to 2/12/2012. A total of 156
ions of friends, family, coaches and the mass media. Regarding students participated 86 of which were boys and 70 were girls.
its definition there are various views such are: the commitment
of someone to sports or “the level of maturity and understand- Measurement
ing of an athlete in his/her effort to increase opportunities (e.g. For the measurement of athletic identity the questionnaire of
professional or social) and most importantly the level on which Brewer et al,(1993 ) A.I.M.S. (Athletic Identity Measurement
someone is determined as an athlete (Kent M 1998, 2006, 2007). Scale) was used. The questionnaire was used successfully for
the evaluation of athletic identity of Greek athletes by Proios M.
Reifsteck, Erin J.M.S. (2011) called upon athletes to determine (2012). For measuring of pro social and anti social behaviour
the term athletic identity. Some of them that answered the ques- the questionnaire of M.Kavussanu (prosocial and antisocial be-
tion stated that athletic identity is the continuous effort for ex- havior 2006) was used and for the measurement of anger and
cellence in various sports (34%), to be physically capable (17%), aggressiveness the questionnaire of J.P Maxwell, E.Moores CAAS
to show strong commitment in education and sports (15%), (2005) (Competitive Aggressiveness and Anger Scale) was used.
while the rest (34%) stated that athletic identity is the percep-
tion of someone that he/she is an athlete. According to those Procedure
who answered the athlete is characterized “by competitiveness, Instructions were given to students and then they received the
decisiveness, self confidence, self discipline and dedication to relevant questionnaires for completion. Following the comple-
the goal”. Some participants also stated that the athletic identity tion of the questionnaires by the participants the question-
is related to the participation of the team (13%). Many support naires were gathered in order to analyse the results.
that athletic identity is the way someone perceives his/her role
as an athlete, including goals, values, thoughts and feelings re- Results
lated to sports. Rebecca Symes (2010) finally, separates athletic Statistical analysis was done with the use of SPSS 17. Student
identity to private-where the person thinks and feels as an ath- t-test was used for the differences among sexes. To examine the
lete- and public athletic identity-where a well known person is affect of the identity on pro social behaviour and aggressiveness
recognized by others as an athlete. mediation analysis suggested by Baron and Kenny (1986) was
implied. Correlation analysis was used for the affect of iden-
Purpose tity on antisocial behavior. The results of preliminary analysis
The aim of the present study was to examine the mediation of showed the following: The means, standard deviations, internal
athletic identity on the affect of aggression on pro social and consistency indicators and regular distribution variables indi-
anti social behavior as well as to examine the correlation of an- cators are shown in Table 1. The correlation analysis results
ger and aggressiveness in students during school games. The showed that the identity had low and positive relation to anti
study also examined of whether the athletic identity is an indi- social behavior and anti social behavior a medium positive cor-
cator for the prediction of such behaviors. relation to aggressiveness.

Methodology-procedure
The study took place during a school tournament at the prem-

Table 1 (Means, Std.Deviation, Int.Consistency, Reg. Distr. Variables Indicators )

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Skewness Kurtosis

Deviation
Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Std. Error Statistic Std. Error
Identity 150 2,40 6,60 4,2419 ,97964 ,199 ,198 -,235 ,394
Pro social 150 1,00 5,00 3,7389 ,94052 -,767 ,198 ,089 ,394
Anti social 150 1,00 3,70 2,0038 ,55496 ,616 ,198 ,728 ,394
Anger 150 1,33 4,50 2,4329 ,80859 ,530 ,198 -,816 ,394
Aggressiveness 150 1,00 3,17 1,6418 ,63850 1,177 ,198 ,172 ,394
Age (in years) 150 14 18 15,85 ,992 ,592 ,198 -,808 ,394
Athletic experience 150 2 12 6,66 2,819 -,148 ,198 -1,136 ,394
Valid N (listwise) 150

Differences among sexes anti social behavior when included parallel to identity and c. the
Student t-test analysis for independent samples showed the effect of identity on pro social and anti social behavior should
existence of statistically significant differences among the two show a statistically significant decrease when intermediates are
sexes regarding identity, t = 7.16, p < .001, anti social behavior, included as independent prediction variables of the dependent
t = 3.86, p < .001, and anger, t = 5.06, p < .001. In all three vari- variable.
ables boys presented higher scores (Μ = 4.76 for identity, Μ =
2.18 for anti-social behavior, and Μ = 2.75 for anger) in relation Results of correlation analysis showed that identity is signifi-
to girls (Μ = 3.77 for identity, Μ = 1.84 for anti social behavior, cantly related to anti social behavior but not with social behav-
and Μ = 2.13 for anger). No statistically significant differences ior. The first criterion therefore for intermediates is not met
were found in pro social behavior, t =.85, p > .05, and aggressive- regarding pro social behavior and for this reason no further
ness, t = .52, p > .05. analysis was done. In order to examine the rest of the criteria,
multiple regression analysis was used. At the first stage identity
Affect of identity on behavior was included and at the second stage anger and aggressiveness
To examine the effect of identity on pro social and anti social were included in the analysis. Results showed that identity at
behavior as well as the mediating role of anger and aggres- the first stage was a significant indicator for anti social behavior,
siveness the intermediation analysis suggested by Baron and R2 = .02, F(1, 149) = 5.38, p < .05, b =.18, t = 2.32, p < .05.(Tabele
Kenny (1986) was used. According to this analysis in order for 2).The addition of anger and aggressiveness improved the abil-
intermediation to exist a. Identity should show a significantly ity of the model to predict anti social behaviour, R2 = .20, R2 change
important relation to pro social and anti social behavior, b. An- = .19, F(3, 149) = 14.13, p < .001. From the two variables added only
ger and aggressiveness should show effect on pro social and aggressiveness showed a statistically significant contribution to

220 IJSR - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Research Paper Volume : 3 | Issue : 1 | January 2014 • ISSN No 2277 - 8179

the prediction of anti social behaviour, b =.42, t = 5.73, p < .001 Discussion
(b =.13, t = 1.82, p = .070 for anger). The addition of these vari- It is widely acknowledged that sports are highly valued within
ables though did not reduce but increased the predicting ability society. Participation in sports usually favors the development
of the identity (b =.22, t = 3.08, p < .001). of pro social behavior and athletic spirit. Many supporters such
are Bredemeier, Weiss, Shields & Shewchuk, (1986) Romance,
Tabele 2(Results identity as a marker for antisocial behav- Weiss & Bockoven, (1986) state that sports are a mean for moral
ior ) development and education and reveal many virtues such are
honesty, courage, self control, respect and justice. All mentioned
Model Sum of df Mean F Sig. above make parents to direct their kids towards organized
Squares Square sports from a very early age (Metzl, 2002). This is the reason
why the relation between sports and aggressiveness is rather
Regression 1,611 1 1,611 5,384 ,022b
important for those who wish to use sports as a mean for expan-
sion and moral development. The results of the present study
1 Residual 44,278 148 ,299
showed that identity affects anti social and aggressive behaviors
Total 45,889 149 as well as that it can be a prediction indicator for such behaviors.
The study certified statistically significant differences among
a. Dependent Variable: Anti the two sexes in identity, anti social behaviors and anger with
social boys showing higher scores than girls. The present study also
showcases a question: why is it that although athletic identity
b. Predictors: (Constant), affects the behaviour of athletes is more related to anti social
Identity and aggressive behaviours instead of pro social ones? This ques-
tion could consist a subject for investigation for future studies.

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