An Examination of Stereotypes Toward Varsity Student-Athletes Based on Student Perceptions

Objective: Using a pragmatic inquiry approach, the present study sought to unpack, interpret, and understand the nature of and reasons behind stereotypes that might exist toward varsity student-athletes expressed by their undergraduate nonvarsity counterparts through a sequential exploratory mixed-methods study. Method: During Study 1, in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 undergraduate students and analyzed through thematic analysis. In Study 2, stereotypes toward student-athletes were further examined in undergraduate students (N = 320) using three quantitative measures: Overlaps of self, ingroup, and outgroup; student-athlete role conflict; and student-athlete stereotyping. Results: Findings from Study 1 showed that student-athletes are perceived as a distinct and privileged group who prioritizes their athletic participation over academic performance with institutional support and resources not available to nonathlete students, suggesting that student-athletes are categorized as an outgroup by students. Results in Study 2 showed that students with distinct ingroup-outgroup beliefs in relation to student-athletes, and who perceive that participating in athletics interferes with student-athletes' academic performance and that separating academic and athletic roles is challenging for student-athletes, were more likely to hold negative stereotypes. Positive stereotypes, on the other hand, were predicted positively by perceptions of the athletic role interfering with the academic role and by perceptions that student-athletes are able to separate these roles. Conclusions: Findings from the present study suggest that helping students identify with student-athletes would likely reduce negative stereotypes and promote empathy and understanding toward student-athletes.