A Quantitative Study Examining the Development of Moral and Social Character in Female College Athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if college sports participation build moral and social character in female athletes. The athletes used in the study were from two Division Ill, private liberal art colleges sport teams. The 34 female athletes ranged in age from 18 to 22 and played either softball or soccer. The Rudd-Stoii-Beller-Hahm Value-Judgment Inventory was the instrument used for the purpose of measuring moral and social character scores. Results were obtained using an independent paired T-Test. The final results indicated that the number of years of participation in college sports does not affect moral and social character scores. Results also revealed that the years in which an athlete participates does not affect a certain aspect of character, however, the environment and the type of sport being non-contact or contact does affect those character scores. Overall, sport participation can indeed build character in female athletes based on the environment, the nature of the sport being a contact or non-contact sport, and the season in which the athlete is currently in. This study is valuable not only to college sport coaches but may prove beneficial to any athletic faculty who desires to use sport participation to enhance character scores in female athletes. By understanding how character affects athletes and what type of sport and year in which the athlete is in, coaches and athletic faculty can implement programs or express how character qualities can apply to real-life scenarios rather than merely thinking and exhibiting the "win at all cost" mentality.