Women's Intercollegiate Research Articles

Physiological and psychological characteristics associated with women's participation in intercollegiate athletics.

Thirry-seven athletes who panicipated in four sports comprising the University of Arkansx at Fayetteville's women's intercollegiate athletic program were compared to 39 physical education majors and 31 students enrolled in physical education activity classes. The athletes represented the four sports as follows: 1 5 in track, 10 in basketball, 7 in swimming, and 5 in tennis. During individual interviews with each subject, basic demographic information and health-related data were obtained, blood pressure and vital capacity were measured, resting pulse was taken, and percent body fat was estimated using skinfold thickness. The McArdle step test was used to assess exercise pulse and recovery pulse. All subjects completed Form A of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF) . The athletes and non-athletes were very similar on family background incidences of high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes, as well as number of illnesses during the last year and measured blood pressure. On five variables that reflect the results of aerobic conditioning, vital capacity, forced expired volume, and three measures of heart rate, the athletes were functioning more efficiently (P < .005). In contrast to the large differences on the physiological variables, there were no statistically significant differences between the athletes and non-athletes on the 16 primary and eight secondary scales of the 16 PF. However, when the athletes were compared to the general population norms for college women, the following differences ( p < .05) resulted: the athletes were more conscientious, less inhibited, more suspicious. less imaginative, more controlled, and scored higher on Cortertia, Subjectivity, and Superego strength. These same differences were obtained when scores for the entirsample of 107 sports and exercise-oriented women were compared to the norms for female students. On two questions concerning attitudes toward/and involvement in/the women's movement, more of the athletes were supportive ( p < .05) and described their involvement as either moderate or extensive ( p < .005), suggesting that women athletes may perceive themselves as more involved in the women's movement than do non-athletes.

Self‐Motivation and Adherence to Habitual Physical Activity1

The purpose of this investigation was to develop and refine a psychometric measure of self‐motivation and assess its relationship to adherence to programs of habitual physical activity. Following construction of a Self‐Motivation Inventory, a series of studies were conducted involving the pretesting of undergraduate males and females (N= 401) and subsequent validation work involving intercollegiate women athletes (N= 64) and adult males (N= 66) in actual exercise settings. Results of the psychometric work provided evidence for the logical validity, internal consistency, and test‐retest reliability of the self‐motivation construct. In addition, convergent and discriminant evidence was provided for construct validity through self‐motivation's pattern of association with other conceptually relevant psychometric variables. Finally, from the standpoint of behavioral validation, self‐motivation proved to be the best discriminator between exercise adherers and dropouts among the psychological variables employed and was strongly related to program adherence in both exercise settings. In fact, when combined with selected morphologic variables in a psychobiologic framework, self‐motivation scores were found to accurately classify participants according to their adherence status in approximately 80% of all cases and to account for nearly 50% of the variance in exercise adherence behavior.

The Importance of Strength, Speed, and Body Size for Team Success in Women's Intercollegiate Volleyball

Abstract Various anthropometric, strength, and speed variables were obtained on 180 intercollegiate women volleyball players who participated in a regional round-robin tournament. The purpose of the study was to determine the factors underlying the motor performance of the women and then determine if there was any relationship between the factors and team success. Factor analysis of the measured variables showed that the variables could be dimensioned as body size, speed/fat, and strength. Multiple discriminant analysis showed that the teams were significantly different on the factors of strength and speed/fat. Team centroids were plotted in two-dimensional discriminant space, and this graphic representation showed that the stronger, faster, and leaner teams were the most successful in tournament play. The results showed that the basic factors of speed/fat and strength were related to team success. Multiple discriminant analysis helped to identify the two most important individual variables for team succe...

A Case Study of Leadership in Women's Intercollegiate Softball

The relationship of selected characteristics to the relative leadership status within a women's intercollegiate softball team was investigated using a multiple iegression design. At the beginning of the season all 23 members of the team were assigned to Team A (the first team with the more highly skilled players) or Team B. Players were also classified according to their class year (juniors and seniors vs. Freshmen and sophomores), their primary playing position (catch ers and infielders vs. pitchers and outfielders), and whether or not they had previous experience playing on the intercollegiate softball team. Leadership status was assessed with a questionnaire completed by all team members three times, at the beginning, middle, and end of the season. Separate step-wise multiple regression analyses were, used to determine the relationship of the selected char acteristics (Team, class year, playing position and previous experience) to leadership status at each of the three times. The results were similar for all analyses with the combination of Team, playing position and previous experience significantly predicting leadership status. Members of Team A had greater leader ship status than members of Team B; players with previous experience had greater leadership status than players without such experience; and catchers and infielders had greater leadership status than pitchers and outfielders. Thus, Team, playing position and previous experience were related to leadership status as predicted, and that relationship was consistent thrcughout the season.

Team Structure and Success as Related to Cohesiveness and Leadership

Summary Based upon the structural characteristics associated with interacting teams, two hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis I predicted that both players and coaches of successful volleyball teams would perceive greater team cohesion. Hypothesis II, which was derived from Fiedler's (2) contingency model for leadership effectiveness, proposed that successful teams would be coached by leaders perceived to be task-oriented in style. Data analysis consisted of a 2 × 2 × 2 (respondents × team success × level of skill) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for the dependent variables of cohesion and leadership. Final sample was comprised of winning and losing players (n = 71) and head coaches (n = 8) within the two most highly competitive divisions of the Southern California Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference volleyball league. Both players and coaches responded to the same assessment instruments, Fiedler's (2) Group Atmosphere Scale and Least Preferred Co-worker Scale. Hypothesis I was confirmed....

“Breadth and Depth” in Women's Intercollegiate Athletics—Reality or Myth?

(1977). “Breadth and Depth” in Women's Intercollegiate Athletics—Reality or Myth? Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 68-71.

Role of Socializing Agents in Female Sport Involvement

Abstract A social learning paradigm was used to examine the influence of socializing agents on the process of socialization of women into sport. A fixed-alternative questionnaire was administered to 585 female participants in the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The first hypothesis, which predicted differential influence of socializing agents over the life cycle, was partially accepted. Peers were the major influence throughout each life-cycle stage; family served as a strong socializing agent during childhood, had no significant effect during adolescence, and proved to be significantly less influential during adulthood. Teachers and coaches served as significant agents only during adolescence. The second hypothesis, which predicted males as predominant role models, was not rejected for childhood, but was rejected for adolescence and the adult stage when female role models became more significant. When role models were examined from the perspective of athletes only, male athletes we...

The Relationship of Somatotype and Selected Anthropometric Measures to Basketball Performance in Highly Skilled Females

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the somatotype ratings and other selected anthropometric measures and the basketball playing performance of a group of highly skilled female basketball players. The subjects were the 53 participants in the 1974 Canadian Women's intercollegiate Athletic Union Basketball Championships. Performance was evaluated during the six games of the championships. The results indicated that none of the basketball performance measures was significantly related to any of the Health-Carter somatotype components. However, total basketball performance, points scored, and rebounding were related to the height of basketball players, so that taller players were generally more highly skilled. The top 10 players were significantly larger than the remaining players on the following anthropometric measures: humerus diameter, biceps girth, calf girth, and weight.

Status of Funding of Women's Intercollegiate Athletics in AIAW Charter Member Colleges and Universities

(1973). Status of Funding of Women's Intercollegiate Athletics in AIAW Charter Member Colleges and Universities. Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation: Vol. 44, No. 8, pp. 11-16.

Strength, Body Composition, and Work Capacity of Participants and Nonparticipants in Women's Intercollegiate Sports

Abstract Forty participants in women's intercollegiate sports and 40 nonparticipants volunteered for the study. Strength using the cable tension technique, and skinfold fat using the Harpenden caliper were measured. Specific gravity, percent body fat, and lean body mass were derived from the skinfold data. The Astrand-Ryhming nomogram was used to predict maximal oxygen uptake. Results indicated that the participants were significantly taller and heavier and had greater lean body mass and more total kilograms of body fat. Thigh fat was the only skinfold measure in which a significant difference was observed, the participants having the lesser value. The participants exhibited significantly greater strength in all the measures tested, as well as higher predicted maximal oxygen uptake. Heart rates recorded during the Astrand-Ryhming test revealed significantly lower pre-exercise and steady state values for the participants. Analysis of variance showed significant differences in pubic fat and shoulder horizon...

What the Colleges Are Doing for the Secondary Schools

Since 1918 those who are vitally concerned with secondary schools have been aware of the growth and development of pupil participation in school government. Principals of high schools, faculty members, and pupils have been showing their interest in this phase of education by writing and talking about it. Few people, however, are aware of the interest that college women are exhibiting in student participation in the government of secondary schools. For eighteen years the women's student-government bodies in the colleges of the East have been united in the Women's Intercollegiate Association of Student Government; those in the southern colleges, in the Southern Intercollegiate Association of Student Government. Delegates from the colleges and universities in these associations have met annually to discuss their student-government problems. A few years ago, while discussing the difficulties of training Freshmen in the ideals and methods of student government, the delegates came to realize that it would be a tremendous advantage if the students new in the colleges had experienced the responsibilities and privileges of self-government in the high schools and preparatory schools from which they had graduated. As the result, the two intercollegiate associations began independently the work of extending student participation in government in secondary schools. For a few years the Women's Intercollegiate Association of Student Government carried on its activities in the East, and the Southern Intercollegiate Association of Student Government worked in the South. It soon became apparent that there were disadvantages in having this work done by undergraduates who must, at the same time, keep up their scholastic work and extra-college activities. Therefore, the two associations combined to create an extension department with an employed graduate secretary to direct the work in both fields.