Abstracts Category : Other

Narcissism in Athletics| Is the Athlete/Jock Distinction Useful?

by Krystol L McIntyre

Sport participation is important for many adolescents and young adults, as they explore their identity and personality expression. In response to controversy over the dumb jock stereotype, and research exploring differing athletic identities, this investigation examined the personality differences between self-identifying Athletes and Jocks. Much research on student athletes examines the benefits and risks associated with sports participation, with no criteria to identify which athletes may be more at risk. The disparity in the research on the benefits and risks associated with sports participation may be mediated by identity and personality. Previous research suggests that a group identified as Jocks display behaviors indicative of narcissistic and antisocial personality, but does not examine personality directly. In this study, narcissistic traits were assessed using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory-13. Participants included in the study met the following criteria: age 18-24, played at least one year of high school sports, and currently play on a high contact sports team at Division I or II undergraduate universities in the U.S. Data was collected via online survey. Findings indicate that self-identified Jocks endorse higher levels of narcissism overall, as well as higher levels of three narcissistic trait facets. This lends evidence to the idea that there may be a construct to help explain some of the negative behavior associated with athletics. Finally, this study may benefit individuals who work with student athletes by helping to identify youth who may be at higher risk for problem behaviors and/or mental health concerns, particularly those who begin to display traits at an early age.