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While attitudes toward gay men in sport have improved, sexual prejudice persists in sport, with the potential to decrease team social bonds. We examined the relationship between heterosexist attitudes and cohesion in men's collegiate sports. Male college athletes (N = 264) completed the Heterosexist Attitudes in Sport–Gay Men scale and the Group Environment Questionnaire. We found a significant multivariate relationship among heterosexist attitudes and cohesion, Λ =.88, F(8, 518) = 4.28, p <.001, with 10.6% overlapping variance between the two variate sets. Cognitive/affective heterosexist attitudes, attraction to group-task, group integration-task, and group integration-social contributed to the relationship. Heterosexism and sexual prejudice may serve as distractions from team objectives. Mental performance consultants working within men's college sport should challenge negative stereotypes of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer individuals; reward inclusive efforts; and leverage team building to reduce heterosexism in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevalence of mental health (MH) concerns among young adults is high and continues to increase. As a specific subset of young adults, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes seem to experience these concerns at a similar or greater prevalence rate than their nonathlete, age-matched peers. Yet, how MH affects sport performance has not been robustly studied, and existing studies have not included the diversity of identities present in the collegiate athlete population. Thus, via online survey, this study explored the beliefs of 249 collegiate athletes representing diverse identities and sports regarding how MH affects sport performance. Regardless of demographic variable, 96.4%–100.0% of participants believed that MH affects sport performance. Three themes were identified: (a) collegiate athletes affirm that MH affects sport performance, (b) collegiate athletes' perceptions of how MH affects sport performance, and (c) collegiate athletes believe that being a collegiate athlete exacerbates their MH concerns. The universality of endorsement and the themes represent novel findings that warrant further exploration of the MH–sport performance connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I argue that there are a number of ethical issues facing college and professional athletes that admit of a unified treatment: viewing athletes as workers. By worker, I mean an agent who sells their labor for compensation. With this notion of worker in place, I present and discuss arguments for four claims: not paying college athletes is morally wrong; that the N.C.A.A. infringes on the right of college athletes to collectively bargain; that it is prima facie wrong to draft and trade professional athletes; and that fans fail to respect athletes’ right to strike when they complain about labor stoppages in professional leagues. I argue that sports fans and members of sports media should explicitly conceive of athletes as workers to recognize and prevent these wrongs. I conclude by suggesting that all with an interest in the welfare of labor have an interest in conceiving of athletes as workers, as it puts what is owed to all workers into stark relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Division I college athletes are faced with numerous academic challenges during their time in school, including conflicts of interest between the university (e.g., academic success), athletic department (e.g., athletic success), and their own priorities (e.g., quality of life, balancing academic and athletic success). These growing demands may impact student-athletes' ability to prepare for a career after sport. Thus, there is a need for high-quality student-athlete career development programming and services in student-athlete support centers. The purpose of this study was to gain senior administrators' perspectives of student-athlete support services to determine best practices of career development programming. Division I administrators (N = 10), who oversee student-athlete support centers, provided insight and feedback via semi-structured interviews. A directed qualitative content analysis was conducted to discern best practices, levels of student-athlete engagement, and preferred attributes of career development personnel. The findings provide specific recommendations, which can help other student-athlete career development personnel improve their programs and adds to the holistic care literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College student-athletes balance the demands of both sport and school in the context of higher education; high levels of motivation are necessary for success in both spaces. Studies have evaluated learning styles and academic motivational outcomes in college student athletes but there is a need to explore how motivation impacts both academic and athletic success. The present study examined the relationship academic, student athletic, and career athletic motivation had with learning styles and major (STEM vs. non-STEM) using Self-Determination Theory as the theoretical lens. College Division I, II, III, and Club college athletes took the Grasha-Reichmann Student Learning Style Scale and Student Athletes Motivation toward Sports and Academics Questionnaire. Learning styles were grouped into intrinsic (independent, participant, and collaborative) and extrinsic (dependent, avoidant, and competitive) styles. There were positive relationships between intrinsic learning style and both student athletic (r(147) = .19, p = .02) and academic (r(147) = .30, p < .001) motivation. Extrinsic learning style was positively correlated with career athletic (r(147) = .27, p = .001) and student athletic (r(147) = .16, p < .05) motivation but negatively corelated with academic motivation (r(147) = -.17, p = .03). Athletes in STEM majors (M = 3.88, SD = 0.36) had significantly higher academic motivation than non-STEM majors (M = 3.66, SD = 0.40), t(182) = 3.85, p < .001. Athletes in non-STEM majors (M = 4.00, SD = 0.88) had significantly higher career athletic motivation than STEM majors (M = 3.56, SD = 0.91), t(182) = -3.29, p = .001. Findings suggest being more independent, participant, and collaborative in class is related to motivation both in school and in student athletic endeavors. Athletes pursuing a STEM major may show higher academic motivation than athletes pursuing non-STEM majors. Encouraging student-athlete learning autonomy via education/intervention could improve intrinsic motivation in sport and classes, though further exploration of these factors is necessary to fully understand their relationship in college student-athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To inform the development of culturally and socially appropriate interventions, this study examined the lived experiences of Black female college athletes (BFCAs) and identified sources that increase their vulnerability to anxiety. Black Feminist Thought, with sub-tenets of intersectionality and outsider within status, was used as the theoretical foundation to examine the lives of the BFCAs. Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, this qualitative study addressed the question: What sociocultural factors affect anxiety in Black female college athletes? Nine Black female college athletes from an NCAA Division I program agreed to participate in this study. Regarding the sources of anxiety, four themes emerged: regimented schedule (subthemes: lack of freedom, decreased choices, and external locus), forced community (subthemes: isolation and team conflict), emphasis on athletics (subthemes: coaching pressures, training pressures, and academic pressures) and navigating marginalization (subthemes: gender and racial stereotypes and gender and racial inequality). Two unexpected themes also materialized: family support and suggested solutions (subthemes: representation and communication). The findings and analysis were based on the data collected and the theoretical lens. The results suggest the need for culturally appropriate interventions to support this specific college athlete population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is unclear what impact, if any, early experiences with trauma may have on athletic identity. Athletic identity may serve as a protective shield for those who have adverse childhood experiences. Self-identifying as an athlete as opposed to the identity that experienced the trauma could be a defense mechanism for self-protection. The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and athletic identity as well as determine any influence from gender, ethnicity, and sport in a group of college athletes. Using Qualtrics software, 102 collegiate athletes currently enrolled in higher education institutions across varying NCAA divisions within the United States completed three measures: Personal Data Form, Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), and Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey (ACES). Results found adverse childhood experiences were not significantly associated with Athletic Identity. However, results did show a difference between men and women, with a significant relationship between adverse childhood experiences and athletic identity in men but not women. Upon further examination, it was found that for men, consideration of ethnicity in conjunction with gender highlighted an even stronger relationship among Black men specifically. Implications for these findings, suggestions for university athletic departments, and recommendations for future research were made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concussion rates are commonly reported in high school and National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) sports. Given that participation in collegiate recreation is on the rise, institutions should examine concussion rates within their recreational programs. We, therefore, retrospectively examined a recreational department's injury reports establishing concussion rates across (n = 16) club and (n = 10) intramural sports at a public university in the southeastern United States from 2016 to 2019. One hundred and thirty-five concussions (club n = 56; intramural n = 79) were identified and constituted 12.4% of documented injuries (n = 1,088). The intramural concussion rate was 0.57 per 1,000 athletic exposures (AEs) and AE was greatest in outdoor soccer (0.99 per 1,000 AE). Therefore, our data suggests an increased incidence of concussions in intramurals compared to published rates in NCAA and high school sports. Collegiate recreational departments should consider these concussion rates when formulating risk management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The revered tradition of amateurism has transformed due to legal and legislative challenges initiated by the name, image, and likeness landscape. In contrast to the traditional National Collegiate Athletic Association model, college athletes have now gained the opportunity to benefit financially from their notoriety by adopting an influencer role. The purpose of this manuscript was to explore the conceptual and theoretical shifts resulting from the introduction of the influencer role, considering the existing literature on athlete–student role theory. By achieving harmony between the athlete, student, and influencer roles, athletes should produce the most significant gains in each area, including academic performance, athletic achievement, and monetary benefit. However, greater psychological and sociological consequences may emerge for athletes if the influencer role further complicates the conflict between their athlete and student roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because an athletes' body is central to their identity, it is important to consider the ramifications of retirement from sport on their well-being. Using a single-group pre–post test design, the purpose of this exploratory study was to expand on the current state of knowledge regarding the body image and health behavior transition of retired intercollegiate athletes. Ten athletes from three institutions completed demographic and health behavior questions, the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire, and selected items from the Body Parts Satisfaction Scale-Revised online prior to and after retirement (M = 305 days). Although most athletes reported maintaining healthy patterns of nutrition and physical activity in retirement, results showed that body satisfaction significantly declined, and that actual–ideal body discrepancy increased, albeit to a nonsignificant degree. National Collegiate Athletic Association athletics departments to consider how they can more effectively empower athletes to take care of and appreciate their body even after the final performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies a transformative sport service research approach to examine student-athletes' wellness within a collegiate sport setting. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were completed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the stop of play in Canada (early 2021). Findings denoted wellness was influenced by this time period as well as organizational factors which are within the purview of existing management practices. The study details the service environment to understand physical and mental well-being while taking into consideration the general and organizational environments which influence the student-athletes. Findings demonstrate that eudaimonic-related experiences (e.g., learning, development, relationship) are related to student-athletes' mental well-being. This research underpins the role of education, policies, and communication, which draws several implications for the service environment in a collegiate sport setting and the key stakeholders involved in producing an environment to enhance student-athletes' experience. The paper elaborates on the importance of the service environment and provides evidence of what student-athletes suggest management can change and focus their efforts on towards creating a transformative service environment. Theoretical implications for the transformative service research are put forward, including the co-creative aspects to determine programming which could contribute towards student-athletes wellness. Broader suggestions for change within the sport system and future research are also advanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs a pre-post survey design, engaging a purposive-convenience sample of 94 U.S. college athletes who participated in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics across eight sports and 22 countries. Utilizing validated scales, participants' group, national, and athletic identities were measured weeks before and after the event. Paired sample t-tests and a repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance were utilized to understand the effects of time and demographic variables on these identities. Results revealed that after competing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, college athletes exhibited a significant decrease in their group identity and a significant increase in their national identity, while their athletic identity remained relatively unchanged. The results were qualified by student status interactions such that international students showed a significant decrease in group identity and a significant increase in national identity after competing in Tokyo 2020, with no significant changes observed in these identities for domestic students. The results illuminate a complex process of identity negotiation experienced by collegiate Olympic athletes that transition between Olympic and college sport environments. This study contributes to sport management literature by offering nuanced insights into the dynamics of role-switching, urging stakeholders to utilize these findings to enhance the experiences of college athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current landscapes of intercollegiate sports and higher education are experiencing shifts toward more democratic representation. In college sport, student-athlete representatives are more engaged in policy decisions, hold voting rights, and are included on boards and committees. Despite this shift, little is known about what good intercollegiate athlete representation entails and how multi-level, democratic governance systems may support or impede good representation in the context of college sport. This paper explores qualities of good college athlete representation (CARep) and factors contributing to and/or detracting from the process of good CARep in the context of a democratic multi-level intercollegiate sport governance system. Findings showed individual attributes of good CARep, including interpersonal skills and leadership, were based on democratic representation virtues (i.e., fairmindedness, trust building, good gatekeeping) and helped foster democratic values of civic equality, self-governance, and inclusion. The intercollegiate sport governance system supports the work of athlete representatives primarily through its educative function. More specifically, administrators were key to identifying experiential learning opportunities for athlete representatives, which contributed to the process of good representation through responsiveness, inclusiveness, and egalitarianism. Lack of administrative support and education for all relevant interest groups characterized governance system inconsistencies impeding good CARep, primarily at institutional levels where the purpose of student-athlete committees varied and/or athlete representative roles were less understood. Implications for practice and directions for future research on good athlete representation are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the burgeoning Latinx student population in the United States, a conspicuous gap exists in the academic literature, particularly within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) context. Consequently, the central objective of this study was to redress this void by analyzing the racial experiences encountered by NCAA Division I Latinx student-athletes enrolled in Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). To fulfill this objective, the researchers applied a qualitative phenomenological approach, seeking an in-depth comprehension of the significance of diversity practices within the distinct educational milieus inhabited by the study's participants. Employing Latin Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) as the theoretical framework, the authors gathered data through six semi-structured interviews and supplemented this information with pertinent diversity and inclusion-related information derived from each participating university and the respective athletic programs. The study's findings underscored the persistent issue of racial discrimination confronted by NCAA Division I Latinx student-athletes within the university setting. Remarkably, despite the extensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) trainings and councils within these institutions, Latinx student-athletes continued to grapple with racial disparities. Indeed, recurring themes from the data highlighted their significant reliance on familial support and campus resources as strategies for navigating and mitigating these challenges. In light of a substantial body of scholarly work that recognizes the critical importance of DEI in sport, this study serves as a poignant reminder of the pressing need for further academic and practical endeavors aimed at effectively addressing racial disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined college athlete handbooks at 50 Division I institutions to understand how language focused on mental health was framed. Mental health is an important area of focus on college campuses, particularly for athletes due to increased demands as well as stigmas related to reporting. The researchers performed a framing analysis of college athlete handbooks during the 2020-21 academic year, focusing on all references to mental health, while also examining in detail specific sections devoted to mental health resources. The findings indicated that those specific sections provided supportive resources for college athletes, potentially eroding stigma surrounding the issue. However, some policies did connect support to athletic performance, thus diminishing the individual in the process. Additionally, a lack of reference to diversity and inclusivity may create barriers to mental health support. This research can provide a great resource for athletic departments focused on developing communication strategies to support athlete mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) purpose is to protect college athletes within a hypercommercialized institutional setting, the protections prevent college athletes from accessing the lucrative marketplace. Extant literature has conceptualized the operating functions of the NCAA within the context of a patriarchal framework in which college athletes are infantilized, and authoritative institutional control is thereby justified. However, social media has provided a platform to engage in counter-storytelling and activism. As such, this study examined engagement with college-athlete-led social media activism. Utilizing a content-analysis methodological approach, social media engagement with the Twitter hashtag #NotNCAAProperty was examined over the course of the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Findings revealed that most interactions were supportive of college athletes and suggest that social media may be a strategic mechanism for college athletes to engage in advocacy initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American meritocratic ideology positions sports as level playing fields in which individuals, regardless of their background, can ascend with the right combination of ability and effort. Yet few studies challenge the sport-meritocracy ideology by empirically examining the socioeconomic backgrounds of college athletes (Allison et al., 2018). Studies of youth sport participation show that community-level income shapes athletic opportunities suggesting class is a strong barrier to physical activity (NWLC, 2015; Sabo & Veliz, 2008; Tompsett & Knoester, 2022). Class inequalities are exacerbated in sports with robust privatized youth systems like baseball (Klein et al., 2020; Post et al., 2022). Utilizing a unique quantitative dataset of NCAA Division I college baseball players (n = 19,987), we consider the extent to which a community's socioeconomic levels and racial demographics shape the chances of someone becoming a college baseball player. We compare college baseball players' hometown income levels and racial demographics to their home state and to U.S. averages. We also consider differences across competitive divisions (i.e., Non-Power 5 vs. Power 5). Findings show that college baseball players--regardless of conference affiliation--commonly come from affluent, nonminority cities, with high education and income levels, indicating that socioeconomic status is a significant predictor of college athletic participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to conduct an exploratory study examining factors that influence the academic success of college athletes participating in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), a subject that has not been empirically studied. For this study, academic success defined as retention and graduation, represents the dependent variables of interest. Additionally, this study examines actors influencing academic success including institutional financial aid, background characteristics (race, gender), college experience (GPA, residential housing), athletic characteristics (sport, athletic expenses), organizational structure, and participation as a varsity or non-varsity athlete. This study uses institutional data from 2019-2020 NAIA's Return on Athletics (ROA) initiative, and data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Logistic regression is used to answer two research questions exploring the factors that influence NAIA college athlete success. Findings indicate athletes are retained at a high rate in comparison to available NAIA data, but certain sub-groups may be at risk for attrition. Specifically, non-varsity athletes, athletes with a grade point average below 3.0, or those who have been enrolled less than two years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research regarding athletics stakeholders' (e.g., faculty, non-athlete peers) perceptions of Division I college athletes is abundant and demonstrates that most stakeholders hold negative and stereotypical views of athletes. However, despite their time spent with athletes, little is known about the perceptions academic tutors have toward the athletes they are brought in to assist. Thus, through the lens of stereotype threat, this study explored graduate(d) and undergraduate tutors' (n = 67) perceptions of athletes from three academically and athletically elite Division I institutions. Tutors' perceptions were examined and compared based on their responses to an adapted situational attitude scale survey using correlations, t-tests, and Fisher's Z tests. In general, results suggested tutors did not maintain stereotypical perceptions of the athletes they worked with, a key difference from previous scholarship in this area. Still, graduate(d) tutors generally held athletes to higher academic standards compared to undergraduate tutors. Implications for sport practitioners in academic support programs for athletes include hiring more graduate(d) tutors to work with athletes and fostering stronger relationships between tutors and athletes. Ultimately, this study expands upon the previous research on perceptions and stereotypes of athletes and the findings may demonstrate a shift toward more positive and strengths-based perceptions of Division I athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had serious implications on the health and well-being of student-athletes. The present study explored the athletic experiences of NCAA Division II college athletes during the competitive hiatus caused by the pandemic, as well as in their return to sport participation. Twenty male and female student-athletes from a variety of sports (freshman = 2, sophomores = 4, seniors = 9, and graduate = 5) participated in semistructured interviews to explore how the pandemic affected their athletic identity, anxiety, and mental health. Through the use of thematic content analysis, the following major themes were identified: (a) influence of COVID on athletic identity, (b) increased anxiety during COVID, (c) social aspects of sport participation, and (d) factors that influence mental health. Findings indicated a combination of positive and negative effects on the athletic identity, anxiety, and mental health and well-being of student-athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black male college athletes (BMCAs) are in a unique position within the contexts of historically white institutions and Division I college athletics. Recently, BMCAs have increasingly presented themselves in ways that highlight specific social identities or even in opposition to the college athletic system and higher education environment. However, little has changed as power and privilege remain central forces in white-dominated settings. This constructivist grounded theory study examines how historically white institution and Division I athletic environments influence self-presentation of BMCAs through a Black critical theory lens. The experiences of 16 BMCAs illuminated how self-presentation was influenced by academic and athletic settings, Division I subdivision characteristics, and sport-specific contexts. I conclude with recommendations and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to examine how athletes holding privileged racial identities understand their whiteness as they engage in racial justice activism. Drawing from 12 semistructured interviews with white collegiate athletes who have engaged in activism for racial justice, we identified four higher order themes which we situate within a broader discussion of how each theme either reinforces or disrupts racial power: articulations of (a) racial consciousness, (b) white privilege, (c) white empathy, and (d) white accountability. While the white accountability theme has the potential to disrupt racial power due to its relying on rigorous self-critique, the remaining themes pointed to limited understandings of the systemic nature of racism, which can thus inadvertently (re)produce white supremacy even when engaging in activism for racial justice. Limitations, implications, and future directions for research are discussed to empower more white athletes to reflect critically on whiteness and facilitate systemic change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most collegiate athletes in the United States monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL) through social media influencer marketing. This provides an opportunity to examine the factors that impact their social media NIL value. Therefore, we investigate the effects of personal branding factors (quality of Instagram biography, posting frequency, and account verification status) and institutional factors (competition level, university brand, and sport gender) on the social media NIL value of men's and women's college basketball athletes (N = 907) in California while controlling for local market characteristics. A linear regression analysis shows significant relationships between social media NIL value and competition level, university brand, sport gender, posting frequency, and account verification. Our results offer new theoretical and practical understandings of the relationships between brands in the sport brand ecosystem and the NIL value of sport influencer's social media posts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On July 1, 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association suspended its amateurism bylaw, allowing states to pass name, image, and likeness legislation. This opened the floodgates in intercollegiate athletics, allowing student-athletes to earn income and other financial incentives by engaging in sponsorships and other commercial deals with companies and organizations. Despite this, international collegiate athletes are currently prohibited from monetizing name, image, and likeness opportunities in the United States due to exclusionary restrictions on the F1 student visa status. There has been limited discourse regarding this near exclusion, leaving international collegiate athletes a silent group with few advocating for changes to ensure equity. This preliminary study investigates the perceptions of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I intercollegiate athletic practitioners and coaches on the impact this exclusion can have on a wide range of issues, including recruiting, team dynamics, and job function. Findings suggested there are five main areas where this legislative gap will have an impact, including education, finance, diversion, equity and fairness, and American exceptionalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article brings together scholarship on communication theory, influencer marketing, and personal branding to examine a new type of social media influencer—the college athlete influencer. Previous research in the field of sports has not specifically explored the distinct characteristics of college athletes that contribute to their effectiveness as marketing influencers. By adopting a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the source of college athletes' influence via social media. Quantitative results indicate that projecting an athletic identity on social media enhances the influencer's credibility and increases the likelihood of consumers purchasing the products they endorse. Furthermore, qualitative findings indicated that the shared school identity acts as the ultimate impetus for the bond between the influencer and the consumer, which subsequently impacts the consumer's purchasing decisions. This study provides actionable implications for schools, colleges, and brands seeking to build compelling sponsorships in the name, image, and likeness era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the remaining options for sport managers to balance the interests of college athletes and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in regulating college athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL). The paper is divided into six substantive sections. The first section, "Background: The NCAA's Defense of NIL Restrictions," provides a brief history of the NCAA's legal defense to challenges against its NIL regulations. The second section, "U.S. Congress Is Unlikely to Regulate College Athletes' NIL Rights," addresses proposed federal legislation and Congress' willingness to regulate the use of NIL by college athletes. The third section, "The Impact of O'Bannon and Alston on NCAA's NIL Restraints," examines controlling case law, specifically O'Bannon v. NCAA and NCAA v. Alston, and how current antitrust law precedent shapes the scope by which the NCAA can regulate college athletes' NIL. The fourth section, "State Laws Regulating the NIL Marketplace," addresses state legislation regulating college athlete NIL use. The fifth section, "The Applicability of Labor Law to Regulating College Athletes' NIL," discusses the current college athlete NIL marketplace and analyzes whether labor law presents an optimal way forward for the NCAA to regulate NIL post-Alston. The sixth section, "College Athletes' Employee Status as a Pathway to Redefine the NCAA's Amateurism," concludes by examining the law's role in regulating NIL and discussing stakeholder implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing mindfulness literature in sport primarily focuses on manualized mindfulness protocols, while less is known about athlete experiences with mindfulness outside of interventions. The purpose of the present study was to explore student-athlete experiences with and readiness to practice mindfulness. Using convenience and snowball sampling, 205 collegiate athletes completed a mixed-method survey that assessed readiness, trait mindfulness, social support for mindfulness practice, and mindfulness' perceived effect on performance. Participants were invited to comment on benefits, barriers, or adverse experiences during their practice. Athletes with long-term experience had significantly higher mindfulness scores than those with less experience; they also perceived that mindfulness had significantly greater effects on performance than those not practicing. Various benefits and barriers were expressed across stages of readiness, though roughly 6%–10% of participants reported an adverse effect of mindfulness practice. It is thus important for practitioners to consider readiness levels and previous experiences in implementing mindfulness interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this commentary is to present the state of sport, social media, and crisis communication research. Existing crisis-communication research involving athletes and coaches; collegiate institutions; teams, leagues, and governing bodies; journalists; and other sport entities are discussed. The commentary concludes with a discussion of directions for future research, including (a) interviewing industry professionals, (b) employing survey design to examine user response, (c) employing experimental design with social media manipulations, (d) validating and developing frameworks, and (e) examining additional social media platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The passage of name, image, and likeness (NIL) laws in individual states within the United States has provided intercollegiate athletes opportunities to potentially profit from their personal NIL in a free marketplace. Concurrently, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) also allowed college athletes to utilize their NIL rights. Thus far, most college athletes' NIL deals for payments are for posts on the athletes' own social media channels for products, including their own self-promotion in relation to brands, or promotion of brands such as fast food and auto dealerships. Notably, published scholarly work on NIL itself is sparse since it was not until 2021 that the NCAA enacted NIL rules for college athletes. Published scholarship on NIL and social media is even rarer. Therefore, this commentary provides recommendations for potential future scholarship related to NIL and social media, focusing on three potential frameworks: (a) agenda setting, (b) relationship marketing, and (c) personal branding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given how COVID-19 had caused significant increases in collegiate athletes' psychological distress, we examined the extent to which such distress may have been ameliorated by the athletes' psychosocial resources (e.g., resilience). We used structural equation modeling to examine the direct and indirect relationships of resilience, self-compassion, and social support to women collegiate athletes' (N = 3,924; 81.2% White) psychological distress; athletes completed measures of these constructs from mid-April to mid-May 2020. Analyses revealed significant direct effects: More supported (β = −0.12 to −0.19), self-compassionate (β = −0.48 to −0.53), and resilient (β = −0.21 to −0.35) athletes experienced less psychological distress (R2 =.61–.65). Further, self-compassion and social support were related indirectly (and inversely) to psychological distress through higher levels of resilience. These psychosocial resources appear to have played a positive role in how athletes coped with the pandemic, being associated with less psychological distress. These findings have application beyond the pandemic, providing direction for how sport psychology professionals may assist athletes in maintaining their well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of sports and the approval of the Dual Career regulation at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" are highly significant topics for the well-being and personal development of students. In line with European and international policies, this initiative recognizes the specific needs of student-athletes by offering them tools and flexibility to excel in both sports and academics. However, monitoring student-athletes by Universities requires thorough investigations and the development of initiatives to promote students' adherence to sports practice. Therefore, our study aims to analyze the results of a survey administered to students enrolled at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" during the academic years 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023, and 2023/2024, investigating the effects of the introduction of the Dual Career regulation on the student population. Our preliminary results showed that the introduction of the Dual Career program was associated with a significant increase in the number of students practising sports over the academic years, with greater participation in the academic years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. Noteworthy, the number of student-athletes who applied to the Dual Career program markedly increased in the last year, with the highest number of enrollments in the macroareas of Medicine and Surgery, Economy, and Engineering. Overall, the Dual Career regulation offers the possibility to plan the study path in a personalized way, dedicated academic support, and flexibility in deadlines, making the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" a model of integration between education and sportiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This cross‐sectional study evaluated de‐identified data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association—Department of Defense Grand Alliance from 2014 to 2020 to determine the prevalence of migraine and migraine medication and to describe differences in migraine prevalence by sex, race, and sport. Background: Epidemiological studies can help identify underdiagnosed and undertreated populations. Understanding migraine prevalence in collegiate student‐athletes is essential for positive healthcare outcomes including development of prevention and treatment plans. Methods: From a concussion baseline assessment, participant's self‐reported demographics (e.g., age, sex, sport), migraine diagnosis (i.e., yes/no), and migraine medication usage (e.g., yes/no, type) determined prevalence of migraine and medication use in collegiate student‐athletes. Results: Migraine was reported in 5.6% (2617/47,060; 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.4%–5.8%) of the student‐athletes, with higher prevalence in females, 7.5% (1319/17,628; 95% CI 7.1%–7.9%), than males, 4.6% (1298/28,116; 95% CI 4.4%–4.9%). Medication usage was reported by 36.2% (947/2617; 95% CI 34.3%–38.0%) of individuals with migraine. Migraine reporting differed by race, with Caucasian reporting highest (5.9%; 1990/33,913; 95% CI 5.6%–6.1%) and Asian the lowest (2.7%; 55/2027; 95% CI 2.1%–3.5%). Women's sports, including golf, gymnastics, and lacrosse, and men's diving and squash had higher migraine reporting than other sports. Conclusion: Caucasian females reported higher rates than other groups and sport influenced rates of migraine diagnosis. Plain Language Summary: Collegiate student‐athletes face unique circumstances that may influence migraine diagnosis and outcomes. From a de‐identified data set provided by the National Collegiate Athletic Association—Department of Defense Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium, migraine was reported in 5.6% of collegiate student‐athletes and 36.2% of those also reported taking a medication. Migraine reporting differed by race and sport, with Caucasian females reporting higher rates of migraine than other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The goal of this study was to characterize normative scores for the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) in collegiate athletes to inform decision making about the need for psychological health services in this group. Methods: Collegiate student-athletes (N = 20,034) from 25 universities completed the BSI-18 at their preseason baseline assessment. A subgroup (n = 5,387) underwent multiple baseline assessments. Global Severity Index (GSI) scores were compared to community norms and across multiple timepoints. Results: Collegiate athletes reported significantly lower GSI scores than published community norms (p<.001). Published GSI threshold scores for "caseness", identified only 2 per 100 athletes (≥ the 98th percentile) as needing further evaluation. Using a GSI score ≥ than the cohort's 90th percentile, 11.4 per 100 athletes would merit additional evaluation. These individuals were more likely to report a history of psychiatric diagnosis (Odds ratio [95% CI] 2.745 [2.480, 3.039]), as well as ≥ 2 prior concussions (p<.001). GSI scores were not highly correlated across timepoints. Suicidal ideation was rare (n = 230; 1.15%). Conclusions: For collegiate student-athletes, published BSI-18 threshold scores identify only extreme outliers who might benefit from additional behavioral health evaluation. Alternatively, use of threshold scores ≥ the 90th percentile identifies a more realistic 11.4% of the population, with higher likelihood of prior concussion and/or psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimedia tools and immersive technology have enormous potential for actively engaging students and improving learning quality. This research aims into the use of virtual reality (VR) in physical training and sports rigorous training to give students a new perspective on college training and educational training, as well as to improve the professional level and training excellence of college athletes. We present a revolutionary Virtual Reality-based Physical Training (VR-PT) technology for effective virtual reality instruction on a digital application. The semi-supervised learning framework was used to implement movement inputs and interactive reality methods. Virtual simulation and differentiated selection techniques based on Q statistical data are used first to identify sports students with excellent independent learning capacity, followed by the classifier's neighbour reliability. Experiment results indicate that this strategy can successfully support physical training practices while also improving students' learning performance. The effectiveness of students in athletics has increased by 30%. Simultaneously, two-thirds of people believe their involvement in athletic training has increased by 80%, and 90% of college coaches believe that using VR technology throughout physical training is extremely important for improving the technical aspect as well as the reliability of college sports training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous empirical efforts have sought to understand the emotional abuse experiences of female athletes, but less is known about how emotional abuse is experienced by males in sport. To address this gap, the present study was designed to explore how four male former NCAA student-athletes (M age = 32 years) experienced emotionally abusive coaching behaviors and how those behaviors were influenced by masculine socialization pressures. A multiple case study design and inductive-deductive thematic approach were utilized to collect and analyze retrospective data. Results highlight socialization pressures related to orthodox masculinity influenced participant experiences and recollections of emotional abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify (1) university educators' perceptions of academic adjustments (AA), and (2) if teaching experience correlated with AA perceptions following concussion. Participants: Two hundred twenty educators. Methods: University educators were invited to complete a survey containing four subsections; this manuscript focuses on AA following concussion. Objective 1 was descriptive; we conducted spearman's rho correlations between years of teaching experience and AA perceptions to address objective 2. Results: Educators were moderately familiar with AA but were not confident in their knowledge about AA following concussion. Participants who provided AA following concussion most often allowed excused absences and extra time for exams/assignments. There were no significant relationships between teaching experience and perceptions of AA. Conclusions: University educators largely feel unprepared to provide or recommend AA following concussion but had favorable AA perceptions following concussion. Standardized policies or referral sites within the university system may be warranted to improve post-concussion AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For college student athletes, graduation coincides with a loss of competitive careers and athletic identities and begin a potentially traumatic transition to a new life phase. However, how athletes' experience this developmental transition may be influenced by their readiness to retire. Thus, we prospectively examined how NCAA student athletes' (N = 166) psychological well-being changed from graduation/retirement (T1) to four months later (T2) and determined the extent their readiness to retire, as represented by 12 key psychosocial dimensions (e.g., social support, athletic identity) predicted well-being at T2. Athletes completed a 12-item measure of retirement readiness at T1, measures of depressive symptomatology, body satisfaction, and life satisfaction at T1 and T2. Through regressions analyses, and controlling for gender and T1 well-being scores, we found that athletes who developed a new life focus and had positive social support systems at retirement from sport were more satisfied with their lives and less depressed four to five months later. For the athletes' T2 body satisfaction, only their T1 satisfaction was a significant predictor. As one of the first studies to longitudinally examine collegiate athletes' well-being over the first six months of retirement, our findings provide direction for additional research and development of programming that focuses on helping athletes maintain and extend their support networks as they transition from their teams and develop a new purpose and direction in their lives as they lose what had been present for them through their sport involvement. Implications for assisting collegiate athletes in transition from sport are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Student Athlete Climate Dataset, this paper examined factors associated with Latina/o college athletes' intent to transfer for academic and athletic reasons. This study offers insight regarding how gender, NCAA Division, and geographic location can influence Latina/o college athletes' decision to transfer. In addition, the roles of faculty members and head coaches were significant in Latina/o college athletes' intent to transfer for athletic reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although contemporary researchers suggest that abuse is especially prevalent in sport, athletes' experiences of coaches' emotional abuse are not well understood. To address this gap, the present study was designed to examine how former intercollegiate student-athletes described experiences of emotional abuse in the coach-athlete relationship. Twenty former student-athletes were interviewed, and an inductive comparative analysis was utilized to interpret and situate the data. Results were framed in terms of power and were organized into four distinctive categories. Results highlight a critical need for institutions to reflect on current policies and practices regarding the prevention and investigation of athlete abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recovery trajectories of collegiate athletes with sport-related concussion (SRC) are well characterized in contact/collision sports but are less well understood in limited contact sports with lower risk, reducing the ability of clinicians to effectively manage the return-to-play (RTP) process. The current study investigated the time to asymptomatic and RTP across a broad range of male and female collegiate sports and sought to group sports by recovery intervals. Data from the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education (CARE) Consortium included 1049 collegiate athletes who sustained a SRC while participating in game or practice/training of their primary sport. Injury setting and subsequent clinical presentation data were obtained. Survival analysis using the Cox Proportional Hazard model estimated the median recovery times for each sport. Optimal univariate K-means clustering grouped sports into recovery categories. Across all sports, median time to asymptomatic following SRC ranged from 5.9 (female basketball) to 8.6 days (male wrestling). Median RTP protocol duration ranged from 4.9 days (female volleyball) to 6.3 days (male wrestling). Median total RTP days ranged from 11.2 days (female lacrosse) to 16.9 days (male wrestling). Sport clusters based on recovery differences in time to asymptomatic (3) and RTP protocol duration (2) were identified. The findings from this study of a large sample of more than 1000 NCAA collegiate athletes with SRC show there exists ranges in recovery trajectories. Clinicians can thus manage athletes with similar guidelines, with individualized treatment and recovery plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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BackgroundMethodsResultsConclusionsFormer professional collision sport (CS) athletes, particularly American football players, are at risk of developing chronic health conditions; however, little is known about the health outcomes of amateur athletes.A 60-item health survey examined self-reported symptoms and diagnoses among former Division 1 Collegiate CS athletes and non- or limited-contact sport (non-CS) athletes. Binary logistic regressions tested the association between playing CS and health outcomes.Five hundred and two (6.2%) participants completed the survey: 160 CS athletes (mean age: 59.2, SD = 16.0) and 303 non-CS athletes (mean age: 54.0, SD = 16.9). CS athletes had increased odds of reported cognitive complaints and neuropsychiatric symptoms including memory (Padj < 0.01), attention/concentration (Padj = 0.01), problem solving/multi-tasking (Padj = 0.05), language (Padj = 0.02), anxiety (Padj = 0.04), impulsivity (Padj = 0.02), short-fuse/rage/explosivity (Padj < 0.001), and violence/aggression (Padj = 0.02). CS athletes also reported higher rates of sleep apnea (Padj = 0.02). There were no group differences in cardiovascular and physical health outcomes.Former CS athletes reported more cognitive and neuropsychiatric complaints. The low response rate is a limitation of this study; however, over 500,000 athletes play college sports each year, thus research on long-term health outcomes in this population is critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAssessing mental health needs among college athletes is important given the frequency of symptoms of depression and anxiety and associated complications that may arise after a sports-related concussion. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) as an independent measure of anxiety symptoms among Division II collegiate athletes (n = 568) during baseline concussion assessments, which also included the post-concussion symptom scale (PCSS) and a measure of depression, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). While only 31 athletes (5.5%) fell above the established GAD-7 cutoff score of 5 or more, a sizable proportion of them (13 or 41.9%) endorsed 0 items on the PCSS affective symptom cluster. Additionally, ∼2% of athletes reported elevated symptoms of anxiety but not depression. These findings support the incorporation of a brief stand-alone anxiety screening tool during concussion baseline evaluations to ensure better detection of student athletes with elevated anxiety symptoms who might otherwise be overlooked, so they may be referred for further diagnostic assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging research supports that some former collegiate athletes (FCAs) can become physically inactive after retiring from sport, which can exacerbate unfavorable changes in long-term health. While researchers have addressed transitional difficulties FCAs may experience after retiring, little empirical evidence exists on how to promote healthy post-sport physical activity (PA) levels for those who are insufficiently active. Because of FCAs' past sports training, considering their opinions for effective PA program components may be beneficial in early stages of behavioral intervention development. As such, 17 insufficiently active former National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes engaged in semi-structured interviews exploring their post-sport PA experiences and perceptions of effective program characteristics. Using Consensual Qualitative Research procedures, five domains were constructed. Three domains were discussed in a previous article; this paper overviews the remaining two, which describe participants' opinions of what would effectively promote PA in their population: (a) a desire for an 'athletics-lite' atmosphere in an FCA-targeted intervention, and (b) using technology to positively engage former athletes in their PA transition. While participants believed an athletics-based program where they are provided feedback and individualized workouts would be effective in maintaining PA, this may indicate underdeveloped autonomy in some FCAs regarding PA maintenance post-sport. Initially utilizing college sports personnel in a program may aid FCAs at risk of inactivity in transferring skills used in sport to independent PA maintenance after retiring. Further, the introduction and use of technology may help facilitate self-monitoring of progress, social support, and individualization when external resources are unavailable. Lay summary: Seventeen, inactive former college athletes (FCAs) were interviewed to understand enablers for promoting physical activity (PA) in their population. Utilizing sport/exercise personnel to help FCAs become more autonomous in their behavior and promoting self-monitoring through technology may help those in this population who struggle to maintain PA post-sport. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: On-campus programs should consider involving athletics personnel (e.g., coaches, athletic trainers, certified mental performance consultants) and, pending available resources, outside experts (e.g., exercise physiologists) to deliver techniques, strategies, and education to explicitly support retiring student-athletes in maintaining PA after retirement. The perceived need for an athletics atmosphere, such as a coach-figure and teammates to be competitive with, may indicate underdeveloped autonomy for maintaining PA in insufficiently active FCAs. While athletics personnel may be useful in early promotion of PA, programs should strive to help them build more self-determined forms of motivation and be self-sufficient in maintaining PA post-sport. Programs may consider promoting the maintenance of PA to students-athletes via the use of wearable devices, PA applications, and online resources to promote self-monitoring of behavior, facilitate social support, and provide education on healthy PA practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To quantify norms and changes in eye-tracking proficiency, and determine vestibular symptom correlations in varsity college athletes following acute mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We hypothesized that mTBI impacts central coordination between the vestibular and oculomotor systems with resultant changes in eye-tracking proficiency that are correlated with vestibular symptom provocation. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Sports medicine care at a single institution. Patients: One hundred and nineteen college athletes diagnosed with mTBI by a physician between 2013 and 2019. Interventions: N/A. Main Outcome Measures: Standard deviation of tangential error, standard deviation of radian error, mean phase error, and horizontal gain from virtual reality-based, circular eye-tracking goggles used at baseline and within 72 hours post-mTBI. Headache, dizziness, nausea, and fogginess provocation after the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) smooth pursuits subtest compared with pretest baseline, assessed within 72 hours post-mTBI. Results: One hundred and nineteen college athletes (N 5 56 women and 63 men) aged 18 to 24 years sustained a total of 177 mTBI. Forty-four percent of athletes displayed abnormal eye-tracking on at least 1 eye-tracking measure following acute mTBI compared with their baseline. From the VOMS, horizontal gain showed medium-sized to large-sized positive correlations with headache (r50.34) and dizziness (r50.54), respectively. Mean phase error showed a medium-sized negative correlation with nausea (r 5 20.32) on the VOMS. Conclusions: Eye-tracking proficiency was impaired and correlated with vestibular symptom provocation following acute mTBI in college athletes. Future research should examine eye-tracking proficiency testing in other acute care settings to support mTBI diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a variety of economic situations discrete agents choose one resource among several available resources and, once admitted to the resource of choice, divide it among fellow agents admitted there. The amount of the resource an agent gets is proportional to her relative ability to acquire this particular resource, what we refer to as an agent's weight at the resource. The relevant applications include students self-selecting into colleges, politicians self-selecting into races, and athletes self-selecting into teams. We find that this game has a pure-strategy Nash equilibrium in at least three special cases: 1) when agents have the same weight at each resource, 2) when all resources are the same, 3) when there are only two resources. We also show that this game always has an approximate Nash equilibrium when the number of players is large. Existence in the general case remains an open problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twofold objective of this study was to examine the relationships between: (a) overall life skills and attitudes toward aggressive and violent behaviors outside of sport; and (b) specific life skills and attitudes toward aggressive and violent behaviors outside of sport. A sample of 84 university club sport athletes (Mage = 20.83, SD = 1.49) at a single mid-sized university in the United States completed an online survey. Data collection was conducted using the Life Skills Scale for Sport and Code of the Street scale (i.e., attitudes toward aggressive and violent behavior). A series of 2-stage hierarchical multiple regression analyses, with attitudes toward aggressive and violent behavior as the dependent variable, were performed for overall life skills and eight unique life skills. In stage one, gender and sport type served as covariates. In stage two, life skill(s) were added as the independent variable. Results indicate that overall life skills (β = -.329, p < .001) significantly and negatively predict club sport athletes' attitudes toward aggressive and violent behavior outside of sport (R² = 0.420, p < .001). Similarly, emotional skills (R²model = .421, β = -.333, p < .001), time management (R²model = .378, β = -.256, p = .005), problem solving R2model = .410, β = -.320, p = .001), social skills R²model = .392, β = -.284, p = .002), teamwork (R2model = .397, β = -.291, p = .001), leadership (R2model = .413, β = -.316, p < .001), each independently made a negative and significant contribution to attitudes toward aggressive and violent behavior outside of sport. However, goal setting (p = .094) and communication (p = .016) were not significant predictors. Considering the affinity between attitudes and behaviors, findings suggested that, for university club sport athletes, overall life skills and certain unique life skills may help inhibit aggressive and violent behaviors outside of sport. Such findings provide insight for administrators, coaches, and other stakeholders servicing the needs of university club sport athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When predicting someone's performance, people expect that short runs of consistent successful outcomes will continue—the hot‐hand. This tendency has been shown in contexts where athletes show a local performance streak, but no other information about their performance is provided. In real‐life settings, performance predictions often use global‐performance records like success‐rate probabilities, although judgements often neglect such statistical information. Aimed at understanding psychological momentums, in a classical sports domain the present work explores how global‐performance information (success rates) about an athlete impacts intentionality judgements and moderate predictions of success after a streak. Four studies show that (1) although participants tend to predict the continuation of streaks of success, they are less likely to predict that successful streaks will continue when success rates are low (vs. high or unknown); (2) sensitiveness to local performance's consistency affects perceived ability for high‐success rate athletes and perceived effort for low success‐rate athletes; (3) the mediation model describing that intentionality attributions mediate the effect of global success‐rate information on performance predictions fits the data. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Setbacks are common occurrences in sport. Recently, setbacks such as injuries and deselection have been accompanied, and confounded, by setbacks related to COVID-19. How students manage a setback may depend on the interaction of two control beliefs: primary control (PC) to directly influence the setback and secondary control (SC) to adjust to it. Purpose: This study investigates the relationships between athletes' PC and SC and two important sport setback-related outcomes—anxiety and rumination. Method: We employed a cross-sectional design examining collegiate athletes in the USA and Canada (N = 200; Mage = 20.9 years, 143 women, 52 men, 3 non-binary, 2 did not disclose). Using regression tests controlling for setback severity, we examined the interaction effects of athletes' PC and SC beliefs relative to setbacks, on the anxiety and rumination variables. Results: We found SC beliefs were beneficial to setback-related anxiety and rumination. A significant interaction indicated that particularly when PC was low, SC had negative associations with setback-related anxieties about letting others down (β = –.45, p <.001) and experiencing pain (β = –.37, p <.001). Conclusion: The findings suggest SC beliefs are important for managing setbacks—specifically for attenuating harmful rumination, and specific setback anxieties. We discuss the possibility of enhancing SC beliefs for combatting sport setbacks through control-enhancing interventions as a direction for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]