The Female Athlete and Role Conflict

Abstract Male and female constitute ascribed social positions for which there is a set of role-appropriate attitudes and behaviors, and severe sanctions are imposed on those who violate those role expectations. Since athletic participation has traditionally been viewed as a male prerogative and the female participant has often faced social stigma and endangered her feminine image, it was expected that female athletes perceive and actually experience role conflict. Data were collected on 268 collegiate female athletes by the use of a 20-item questionnaire designed to assess perceived and experienced role conflict of subjects in enacting the roles of female and female athlete. Forty-four percent of the respondents reported that they perceived little or no role conflict, and 56% had experienced little or no role conflict. However, 26% of the respondents reported perceiving role conflict to a great or very great extent. Chi square analysis of perceived and experienced role conflict for the total set of subjects indicated that the athletes perceived greater role conflict than what they had actually experienced (p < .01). Female athletes participating in sports traditionally not socially approved experienced significantly greater role conflict than those participating in more socially approved sports (p < .05).