The Effect of Sport Attire on Athletic Performance in Aesthetic and Endurance Sports: An Exploratory Study

Author

• Nicole Caron, University of DenverFollow
• Taylor Thompson, University of DenverFollow
• Ben Lampert, University of DenverFollow

Date of Award

Spring 6-5-2015

Document Type

Masters Research Paper

Degree Name

M.A. in Sport & Performance Psychology

Organizational Unit

Graduate School of Professional Psychology

First Advisor

Jamie Shapiro

Second Advisor

Jessica Dale

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Sport attire, Female student-athletes, Body (dis)satisfaction, Collegiate athletics, Coaches

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to better understand how various sport attire (athletes’ clothing and uniform) influences the thought processes and feelings experienced by athletes. Eight female student-athletes from a large Division I university and two Division II universities representing the aesthetic and endurance sports of swimming, gymnastics, and dance participated in this study. Researchers conducted a phenomenological study in which they collected relevant experiential data from each participant using a semi-structured interview guide to assist them through the video conferencing interview process. Results of the study provided evidence that the revealing nature of athletes’ sport attire and external pressures, such as coaches, influence their level of body (dis)satisfaction. Future research should evaluate coaches’ roles as sources of external pressure. In order to better understand this, future research should evaluate coaches’ knowledge of the unhealthy risk factors that accompany athlete’s low levels of body satisfaction. The current study allowed for researchers to gain a better understanding of how female athletes perceive, think, and feel about their own bodies when wearing different levels of revealing sport attire.

Copyright Date

5-2015

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.

Rights Holder

Nicole Caron, Taylor Thompson, and Ben Lampert

Provenance

Received from Authors

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

48 pgs

File Size

694 KB

Recommended Citation

Caron, Nicole; Thompson, Taylor; and Lampert, Ben, "The Effect of Sport Attire on Athletic Performance in Aesthetic and Endurance Sports: An Exploratory Study" (2015). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 27.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/27