Abstract des Autors

Sport research has indicated that individuals possess different views about the overall purposes of participating in physical activities. The existence of individual differences in the perceived purposes of sport have yet to be investigated with athletes at the intercollegiate and recreational sport levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the perceived purposes of sport in male and female intercollegiate and recreational sport participants. One hundred and thirty three intercollegiate athletes and seventy nine recreational sport participants completed the Perceived Purpose of Sport Questionnaire (Duda 1989b). Results suggested that female recreational participants, more than intercollegiate males and females and recreational males, perceived the pruposes of sport as developing personal mastery and cooperation a means of forming healthy lifestyle habits, and cultivating positive attitudes toward society. Intercollegiate males, in contrast to all other groups, viewed sport as an agent to further career opportunities and heighten social status. A gender difference emerged with males viewing the purposes of sport as an arena for competition and materialistic and individualistic gains more than females. The ratings on Competitiveness, High Status Career, Physically Active Lifestyle, and Good Citizen were also significantly different as a function of level of sport involvement. Specifically, intercollegiate athletes believed sport should make them competitive and provide more career opportunities. Recreational participants, on the other hand, thought sport should decrease health risk behaviors and advance societal values and morals. Verf.-Referat