BRUNER, M.
-Post-Doctoral Stipend 2009
Côté, J.
Français
There is growing concern for the healthy social development of today’s adolescents. Researchers and policy makers alike have expressed alarm regarding the increased prevalence of adolescents’ problem behaviours and a failure of many adolescents to develop initiative and become productive members of society (Larson, 2000). Sport can serve as an effective vehicle to educate adolescents and promote social development (Rutten et al., 2007); yet, little theory and research on the developmental processes and mechanisms shaping adolescents’ positive social development in sport currently exists (Dworkin et al, 2003). One important, underdeveloped aspect of research in sport settings which may account for the disparity in social development is the influence of adolescent peer groups (Smith, 2007). However, minimal research has examined how peer relationships shape and support adolescents’ social development within both a sport and broader societal context. The purpose of this study is to investigate how peer groups influence adolescent social development in sport. Specifically, the research will examine how the social identities that adolescents form on sport teams shape their social development. This research is guided by social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and consists of two phases. Phase I involved 449 adolescent athletes from 37 high school sport teams. Athletes completed a survey on social identity and prosocial and antisocial behaviours at three times during a competitive season (beginning, middle, end of the regular season). Results revealed that an athlete’s social identity (i.e., identity associated with membership on their high school sport team) significantly predicted prosocial and antisocial behaviours in sport. Findings from Phase I will inform the development of a qualitative interview guide for Phase II which will explore in greater depth how the key dimensions of social identity (ingroup ties, cognitive centrality, ingroup affect) in sport affect adolescent positive social development. Phase II will include ten focus groups each comprised of 4-6 adolescents from the same team. Collectively, this research will inform the development and implementation of theoretically-driven interventions to foster social identity and social development during adolescence and ultimately beyond as positive, contributing citizens.
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