Superstitious behavior and ritualistic practices among former athletes

Author

Alexander Roorda, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Bart L. Weathington, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Periodical Title

Modern Psychological Studies

Volume

18

Number

2

Page Numbers

pages 145-166

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

2013

Abstract

Superstitious and ritualistic behaviors in sport have been well documented (Brevers, Dan, Noel, & Nils, 2011a, 2011b; Buhrmann & Zaugg, 1983 Foster, Weigand, & Baines, 2006). Studies have identified several benefits athletes gain from these practices such as: reduction of "sport anxiety" (Jackson, Ashford, & Norsworthy, 2006), and reaching "peak performance" (Krane & Williams, 2010). Other research has studied the effects that personality antecedents, such as locus of control (LOC) and Athletic Identity (AI), might have on these practices (Griffith & Johnson, 2002). To date however, there has been little to no research done on whether former athletes would continue ritualistic or superstitious practices once out of organized sport. Accordingly, the present study evaluated the relationship between athletic career ritual/superstition (ACR/S) and post-athletic career ritual/ superstition (PACR/S); in addition to looking for any moderating variables using an adaptation of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (Brewer, van Raalte, & Linder, 1993), an adaptation of the Exhausted Eligibility Transition Scale (Moreland-Bishop, 2009), and the Religion Subscale from the Personal Life Values Questionnaire (Hyde & Weathington, 2006). Analysis of the data showed a positive correlation between "ACR/S" and "PACR/S". "Perceived success in sport" was shown to moderate the relationship between "ACR/S" and PACR/S", while "Athletic Identity," "transition out of sport" and "religious importance" had no significant effect on the relationship.

Subject

Psychology

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

22 leaves

Language

English

Call Number

BF1 .M63 v. 18 no. 2 2013

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Recommended Citation

Roorda, Alexander and Weathington, Bart L. (2013) "Superstitious behavior and ritualistic practices among former athletes," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 18: No. 2, Article 15.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol18/iss2/15