Student-Athlete Perception on a College Campus

Abstract

Negative attitudes regarding a student-athlete’s academic ability exist in the collegiate environment in the form of the “dumb jock” stereotype (Baucom & Lantz, 2001; Bosworth, Fujita, Jensen, & Simons, 2007; Sailes, 1993; McHugh Engstrom & Sedlacek, 1991). These attitudes and stereotypical images hinder a student-athlete’s academic achievement (Chomitz, Dawson, Slining, McGowan, & Mitchelll, 2009; Aries, Benaji, McCarthy, & Salovey, 2004; Morphew, Toma, & Wolf-Wendel, 2001). The author conducted a study at a public, NCAA Division II university whose student-athletes had a proven and publicized history of academic success. The study examined if perceptions of collegiate student-athletes were congruent with those negative feelings towards the group identified in the research. The setting was selected because of the university’s unique history of proven levels of academic success within the student-athlete population. Results found that a positive perception felt by the student-athletes from the campus community was congruent with the high level of student athletes’ academic achievement.