Abstract
In this research we examined the influence of athletic roles upon the perceived gender role orientations of male and female athletes. Participants were 148 students who read a bogus newspaper article that described either a male or female athlete who had successfully competed in an athletic event. The type of sport (football, basketball, and cheerleading) was manipulated. Female football players and basketball players were perceived as higher in agency than female cheerleaders. Male cheerleaders were perceived as higher in communality than male football players and male basketball players. Participants made external attributions concerning the motivations of athletes who competed in gender traditional sports. They made internal attributions concerning the motivations of athletes who competed in gender nontraditional sports. These findings are examined in relation to social role theory.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bem, S. L. (1974). The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 155–162.
Billings, A. C., Halone, K. K., & Denham, B. E. (2002). “Man, that was a pretty shot”: An analysis of gendered broadcast commentary surrounding the 2000 Men’s and Women’s NCAA Final Four Basketball Championships. Mass Communication and Society, 5, 295–315.
Bird, A. M., & Williams, J. M. (1980). A developmental attributional analysis of sex role stereotypes for sport performance. Developmental Psychology, 16, 319–322.
Cialdini, R. B., Kallgren, C. A., & Reno, R. R. (1991). A focus theory of normative conduct: A theoretical refinement and reevaluation of the role of norms in human conduct. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), The development of prosocial behavior (pp. 339–359). New York: Academic Press.
Colker, R., & Widom, C. (1980). Correlates of female athletic participation: Masculinity, femininity, self-esteem, and attitudes toward women. Sex Roles, 6(1), 47–59.
Die, A. H., & Holt, V. R. (1989). Perceptions of the “typical” female, male, female athlete, and male athlete. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 20, 135–146.
Eagly, A. H., Wood, W., & Diekman, A. B. (2000). Social role theory of sex differences and similarities: A current appraisal. In T. Eckes & H. M. Trautner (Eds.), The developmental social psychology of gender (pp. 123–174). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Eccles, J. S., & Harold, R. D. (1991). Gender differences in sport involvement: Applying the Eccles’ expectancy-value model. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 3, 7–35.
Eder, D., & Kinney, D. A. (1995). The effect of middle school extracurricular activities on adolescents’ popularity and peer status. Youth and Society, 26, 298–324.
Etaugh, C., & Poertner, P. (1991). Effects of occupational prestige, employment status, and mental status on perceptions of mothers. Sex Roles, 26, 311–321.
Etaugh, C., & Poertner, P. (1992). Perceptions of women: Influence of performance, marital, and parental variables. Sex Roles, 24, 345–353.
Grindstaff, L. A., & West, E. (2000, August). Gender, sport, and spectacle: Cheerleading and the bid for cultural legitimacy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Washington, DC.
Holland, A., & Andre, T. (1994). Prestige ratings of high school extracurricular activities. High School Journal, 78, 67–72.
Hoferek, M. J., & Hanick, P. L. (1985). Woman and athlete: Toward role consistency. Sex Roles, 12(8), 687–695.
Kane, M. J. (1988). The female athletic role as a status determinant within the social systems of high school adolescents. Adolescence, 23, 253–264.
Koivula, N. (2001). Perceived characteristics of sports categorized as gender-neutral, feminine and masculine. Journal of Sport Behavior, 24, 377–393.
Krane, V., Choi, P. Y., Baird, S. M., Aimar, C. M., & Kauer, K. J. (2004). Living the paradox: Female athletes negotiate femininity and muscularity. Sex Roles, 50, 315–329.
Lantz, C., & Schroeder, P. J. (1999). Endorsement of masculine and feminine gender roles: Differences between participation in and identification with the athletic role. Journal of Sport Behavior, 22(4), 545–557.
Messner, M. A., Duncan, M. C., & Jensen, K. (1993). Separating the men from the girls: The gendered language of televised sports. Gender and Society, 7, 121–137.
National Coalition for Girls and Women in Education. (2002). Title IX athletics polices: Issues and data for education decision makers. Retrieved December 1, 2002, from http://www. womenssportsfoundation.org/binary-data/WSF_ARTICLE/ pdf{_}file/914.pdf
Parsons, E. M., & Betz, N. E. (2001). The relationship of participation in sports and physical activity to body objectification, instrumentality, and locus of control among young women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 25, 209–222.
Riggs, J. M. (1997). Mandates for mothers and fathers: Perceptions of breadwinners and caregivers. Sex Roles, 37, 565–580.
Royce, W. S., Gebelt, J. L., & Duff, R. W. (2003). Female athletes: Being both athletic and feminine. Athletic Insight, 5, 1–15.
Sagaria, M. A., & Sagaria, S. D. (1984). Sex-role stereotyping and freshman students’ intended extracurricular activities. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25, 133–139.
Wood, W., & Eagly, A. H. (2002). A cross-cultural analysis of the behavior of women and men: Implications for the origins of sex differences. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 699–727.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Harrison, L.A., Lynch, A.B. Social Role Theory and the Perceived Gender Role Orientation of Athletes. Sex Roles 52, 227–236 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-1297-1
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-1297-1