A comparison of personality traits, attitudes and achievement between athletic and non-athletic junior secondary school boys
Date
1972
Authors
Garside, Philip James
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Abstract
The characteristics of junior high school athletes and non-athletes were compared in this study. The all male sample selected from grades eight, nine and ten consisted of 84 non-athletes and 120 athletes. The athletes chosen were school representatives in at least one of the five major inter-school sports.
Empirical data was compiled on eight aspects of personality, attitudes toward five school referents and total achievement for four academic subjects. The mean scores for each group on each dependent variable were analysed for significant differences using multivariate analysis of variance followed by univariate F tests on each dependent variable.
Athletes were found to be significantly different from non-athletes in Ascendancy, Sociability 9 Original Thinking 9 Vigor, Attitude toward School, and Academic Achievement. In all cases athletes were found superior to the non-athletes. These differences were found to be consistent across all three grade levels. Comparisons among the five types of athletic groups provided no evidence of significant differences in the characteristics examined.