Sports Research

Can athletes go faster, higher, stronger?: This article reviews research findings on the limits of human performance and considers the ethical dimensions of their application to the world of sports. Physiological, biomechanical, technological and psychological factors are discussed, and the need for an ethical debate on the impact of genetic engineering in sport is highlighted.

NCAA finally faces gambling in college sports: Findings of a national study on sports wagering among collegiate student-athletes in America revealed a "disturbing" frequency of gambling-related behavior. Nearly 35 percent of all male athletes surveyed said they participated in some type of sports betting over the past year. At least 1.1 percent of football players reported taking money for playing poorly in a game; 2.3 percent of football players admitted they had been asked to affect the outcome of a game because of gambling debts; 1.4 percent of football players admitted they actually affected the outcome of a game because of gambling debts.

Whether you stay fit depends on your personality type: A study at the University of Florida indicates that an individual's personality type can be used to predict the conditions they will find most favourable for their exercise. Since 60 percent of people who start an exercise program drop out within the first six months, and 90 percent do so by two years, these findings have important implications for helping people to make permanent lifestyle changes and to combat obesity.

Group dynamics and sports: A useful overview of research in group dynamics and its application in sports. The concepts of group cohesion and leadership skills are as relevant to the performance of sports teams today as they were to the productivity of industrial workers in the 1920s.

New Nielsen Service Measure Impact of Sports Advertising: Nielsen Sports, a division of New York-based Nielsen Media Research, plans to measure the value of a marketer's televised sports sponsorship. Signage inside stadiums, broadcast promotions and audio mentions will be evaluated and compared for their effectiveness in sports marketing.

Mild Concussion Causes Emotional Upsets: An athlete's eagerness to continue playing after injury is linked to a 'culture of risk' in sports. However, this research shows that the emotional effects of having mild concussion include frustration, depression, tension, confusion and anger. The elevated mood disturbances subsided within three weeks post-injury.
SOURCE: Mainwaring, L. Journal of Sport & Exercise, April 2004; vol 26: pp. 119-135.

Children and Sports Media: A US national survey among children ages 8 to 17 to explore their exposure to sports through various forms of media. This report presents important findings and points out instances where responses vary among major subgroups.
Published by the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, August 1999.
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Gender Stereotyping in Televised Media Sport Coverage: This study investigates the potential effect that mass media may have in influencing beliefs about gender-appropriate sport behavior. Samples of televised sports in Sweden were examined during 1995/96 (1,470 minutes), with a follow-up examination in 1998 (528 minutes). The results indicated gender differences regarding both quantity and type of coverage. It seems that televised media sports coverage continues to reinforce constructions of divisions along lines of gender and to reproduce traditional expectations regarding femininity and masculinity.
SOURCE: Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, Oct 1999. Research by Nathalie Koivula, Department of Psychology at Stockholm University.

Physical Activity and Sport in the Lives of Girls: This US report, subtitled 'Physical and mental health dimensions from an interdisciplinary approach', was produced for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport in 1997 by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport, University of Minnesota. The report compiles research information from the areas of psychology, sociology, and physiology. It emphasises the importance of sport for growing girls, how participation in sport enhances body image and self esteem, increases confidence and school performance and reduces the risk of obesity, osteoporosis, and depression. The report identifies barriers to sport involvement and recommends how to improve girls' participation rates in athletics.

Sir Norman Chester Centre for Football Research : Fact Sheet 14 : Football and Families: This fact sheet considers social aspects of attending football matches with an emphasis on the family unit. It summarises the work of Williams and Nectrour and considers the role football plays in developing and maintaining family relationships, what values can be learnt from football, the increasing appeal of football for women, and includes some personalised accounts of past attendance. The survey data is supported by graphics and a short bibliography is provided.

"Girls can wrestle too": gender differences in the consumption of a television wrestling series: Viewing sports programs has been traditionally associated with major gender differences. This study examines the role of the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF) programs in the lives of elementary school children. Findings are presented on gender differences in the consumption of television violence and girls' perceptions and evaluation of WWF as a masculine world.

Americans' Use of Time Project: A longitudinal study that started in 1965 at the University of Maryland examines the changing nature of Americans' use of time, including leisure activities. An article by John Robinson, The Irrelevance of Time discusses these and other findings.

Gender Equity in Sports: Research project at the University of Iowa, USA. The site contains documents relating to the legislation, and links to sites aimed at people who are investigating "the state of affairs in interscholastic or intercollegiate sport". Project leaders: Mary C. Curtis and Christine H.B. Grant.

The Role of Sports and Games in the Self-Image of Girls and Boys: This study examines gender stereotypes in sports and their effect on the self-perceptions and performances of girls and boys. The results of questionnaire surveys indicate that gender stereotypes are produced by school children and that sports play an essential part in their construction of gender. Whilst girls are generally open and positive towards the 'male' team sports, boys show more disapproval of the 'female' individual sports. This research poses questions for the teaching of sports with regard to established gender-related expectations and the equal participation of both girls and boys, especially in co-educational settings.
Project leader: Christa Zipprich, Institut für Sportwissenschaft at Hannover University.
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