Differences in Body Image, Academic Performance, and Anxiety among 6th Grade Girls who participate in Individual vs. Team Sports within Physical Education.

1
Differences in Body Image, Academic Performance,
and Anxiety among 6th Grade Girls who participate
in Individual vs. Team Sports within Physical
Education.

• Anonymous
• Sports Administration
• July 27, 2004

2
Purpose

• To research the differences in body image,
  anxiety and academic achievement among 6th grade
  girls in their first year of middle school and
  their participation in different types of
  Physical Education.

3
Background

• Much research has been performed regarding the
  correlation between higher self-esteem and higher
  academic performance and participation in sports.
• Research suggests that participation in sports
  will lower anxiety levels in children.
• but does participation in Physical Education
  with male counterparts increase anxiety?
• Does participation in individual sport or
  all-female team sport provide a greater benefit?

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Why is it worth studying?

• In addition to researching the physical health
  benefits from sports, it is also important to
  better understand the aspects of social health
  and self-esteem within sports.
• Body Image, Academic Performance
• and Anxiety are valuable indicators of
• social health and self-esteem.

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Hypotheses

• H1 There will be a significant difference in
  body image score between the control group
  (regular PE) and 6th grade girls who participate
  in either individual sports or team sports. The 2
  experimental groups will score higher on the body
  image scale (more positive perception of BMI)
  than the control group.
• H2 6th grade girls who participate in individual
  sports PE will score higher on the body image
  scale than 6th grade girls who participate in
  team sports.

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Hypotheses Cont

• H3 6th grade girls who participate in individual
  sports PE will show higher academic performance
  than 6th grade girls who participate in team
  sports PE.
• H4 6th grade girls who participate in team
  sports PE will score lower on the anxiety scale
  (less anxiety) than girls who participate in
  individual sports.

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Methods

• Identify population of 6th grade girls (before
  school year starts). Arrange to randomly select
  from this population.
• With random selection, separate sample into 3
  groups, individual sport type PE (girls only),
  team sport type PE (girls only), regular PE
  (fitness, mixed sport, co-ed).
• Identify regulation for defining individual
  sport and team sport.

• Sports in PE classes must be similar in fitness
  level.
• 3 sports for individual, 3 sports for team.
• Try to identify extreme types of sports that
  would skew results.

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Methods Cont

• Chose individual sports Tennis, Swimming,
  Gymnastics.
• Chose team sports Basketball, Soccer,
  Softball.
• Chose to dismiss Golf, Football for possible
  extreme results.
• Arrange for parental approval, description of
  types of Physical Education the girls will be
  assigned to.

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Methods Cont

• Next- arrange for Pre-Test (Body Image Scale and
  Anxiety Scale MASC ) for all 6th grade girl
  participants. Will occur at new student
  orientation/health test. Will give lesson to
  girls on what to expect in middle-school,
  challenges, self-esteem, etc.
• Collect data for academic achievement.
• Subjects will begin their selected course at the
  beginning of school semester.

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SCALES

• Body Image Scale
• Test BMI for all subjects.
• Subjects to choose from 7 body shapes that which
  best represents their own.
• Scaled to compare actual BMI and perceived BMI.

• Anxiety Scale
• MASC (multidimensional anxiety scale for
  children).
• 39 4-pt Likert scale questionnaire

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Methods Cont
Post-Intervention

• Subjects will receive slightly different version
  of Body Image scale but the same (MASC) Anxiety
  test in Physical Education at the end of the
  semester.
• Collect data for end of the semester grades.
• Compare results for 3 groups.
• Additionally, provide survey for subjects to rate
  their first semester in middle school
  quantitative and qualitative data.

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Academic Achievement
Body Image
Anxiety
Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
Team Sport
No Sport - Control Group
Individual Sport
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Variables

• Independent Variables
• 6th Grade Girls
• Type of Sport
• Individual
• Team
• Control (no sport)

• Dependent Variables
• Pre/Post test score
• Body Image
• Anxiety
• Academic Achievement/GPA

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Statistics

• Calculate Scores of Pre/Post Test for Body Image
  and Anxiety.
• Determine academic achievement with 100-point
  scale.
• Pre/Post test analysis
• Correlation Spearmans method
• Determine Effect Size

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Effect Size

• Power 1 ß
• Chose 2 Body Image scores control group mean
  .83 /- .03, and individual sport mean .85 /-
  .04.
• Effect size 0.571. At power 0.8, require n
  50 subjects per group assignment.

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Limitations

• Confounding Variables
• Attrition
• Maturation
• Testing
• Access
• Style of instruction
• Previous experience in sport wanted to control
  for, but very difficult.

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Anticipated Findings

• There will be some benefits to all-female
  physical education classes.
• Females who participate in regular co-ed physical
  education will tend to show less accurate
  perception of BMI.
• Outside of study, females who participate in
  individual-sport physical education will exhibit
  traits of healthy adjustment and autonomy.

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More Findings

• Females who participate in team-sport physical
  education will be better equipped in teamwork and
  compromise.
• Overall, subjects who participated in all-female
  physical education classes will report a more
  successful first semester of middle school.

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References
Mugno, et., al. Sport Activity in Children and
Adolescents Temperament and Emotional Traits.
Minerva Pediatrics. 2004, Feb 56 (1) 109-13.
Sports Lifts Esteem in Young Athletes.
Online Source. 1996. APA online.
www.apa.org. Zander, A. Team Spirit vs.
Individual Achiever. Psychology Today, pp.
64-68. (1974, Nov.).
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Zimmerman. Raising Athletic Daughters. Main
Street Books, (October, 1999).
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