Intersecting pathways of athletic identity and emotion regulation: Implications for sport social work

This study, which explores the relationship between athletic identity and emotion regulation within the context of Türkiye, represents the first comprehensive analysis that brings to light crucial aspects of sport social work. The research employed the relational survey model, a quantitative research technique, and data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of a Personal Information Form, the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, and the Athlete Emotion Regulation Scale. The study included 354 athletes from 34 different sports branches, all selected on a voluntary basis through a purposive sampling technique. The data collected from the participants were analyzed using SPSS software. Independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and the Games-Howell post-hoc multiple comparison test were used to examine group differences. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationships between variables. The correlational results revealed a weak positive correlation between athletic identity and both cognitive reappraisal and suppression strategies, as well as a moderate positive correlation between cognitive reappraisal strategy and suppression strategy. On the other hand, the multiple regression analyses revealed that athletic identity and cognitive reappraisal were the strongest predictors of each other. Additionally, cognitive reappraisal was the most significant predictor of the suppression strategy. The findings of this study shed significant light on the relationship between athletic identity and emotion regulation, offering a solid evidence-based foundation for advancing sport social work practices within this context. Future research has the potential to further illuminate this relationship by examining it across diverse sports and cultural settings, as well as by attempting to model the intricate dynamics of interactions between various emotion regulation strategies.