Psychological and Educational Differences Between Student-Athletes and Nonathletes

Authors

Sean Blumenfeld, Lynn University
Gabriela Barber, Lynn University
Sophia Fiz, Lynn University
Daniel Ceccoli, Lynn UniversityFollow
Patrick J. Cooper, Lynn UniversityFollow

Document Type

Poster Presentation

Publication Date

2-17-2024

Abstract

Research suggests that college student-athletes experience more psychological and academic stressors than non-athletes. Therefore, it is prudent for universities to understand and plan to combat the psychological and academic risks that athletes experience. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in four psychological outcomes (stress, anxiety, depression, and resilience) and one academic outcome (GPA) for athletes (N = 44) vs. non-athletes (N = 207). The hypothesis for the study is that there is a significant difference in educational outcomes between student-athletes and non-athletes; however, there is no significant difference in psychological outcomes.

The methodology of the study was a survey sent out to 251 students within a university setting. The study participants included athletes (N = 44) and non-athletes (N = 207). The study also consisted of 132 females and 117 males. The results from a series of independent samples t-tests suggest that there were no differences in stress, anxiety, or depression. However, athletes had a significantly higher GPA and marginally significantly lower resilience. Furthermore, there is no difference in depression. A unique finding here is that non-athletes reported slightly higher resilience, even though it is not statistically significant. This is surprising and warrants further research. More distinct is the finding that athletes had significantly higher GPAs. This finding makes sense, as many schools require athletes to maintain a minimum GPA to keep their scholarships and roster spots. Further implications of this research will be discussed.

Host

University of North Florida

Conference/Symposium

Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC)

City/State

Jacksonville, FL

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Comments

Psychological and Educational Differences Between Student-Athletes and Nonathletes
Sean Blumenfeld, Gabriela Barber and Sophia Fiz

Mentor: Dr. Patrick Cooper

Recommended Citation

Blumenfeld, S., Barber, G., Fiz, S., Ceccoli, D., & Cooper, P. J. (2024, February 16-17). Psychological and educational differences between student-athletes and nonathletes [Poster presentation]. Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC), Jacksonville, FL, United States.