The Game of Life

The Game of Life
Author: James L. Shulman
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 497
Release: 2011-08-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1400840694

The President of Williams College faces a firestorm for not allowing the women's lacrosse team to postpone exams to attend the playoffs. The University of Michigan loses $2.8 million on athletics despite averaging 110,000 fans at each home football game. Schools across the country struggle with the tradeoffs involved with recruiting athletes and updating facilities for dozens of varsity sports. Does increasing intensification of college sports support or detract from higher education's core mission? James Shulman and William Bowen introduce facts into a terrain overrun by emotions and enduring myths. Using the same database that informed The Shape of the River, the authors analyze data on 90,000 students who attended thirty selective colleges and universities in the 1950s, 1970s, and 1990s. Drawing also on historical research and new information on giving and spending, the authors demonstrate how athletics influence the class composition and campus ethos of selective schools, as well as the messages that these institutions send to prospective students, their parents, and society at large. Shulman and Bowen show that athletic programs raise even more difficult questions of educational policy for small private colleges and highly selective universities than they do for big-time scholarship-granting schools. They discover that today's athletes, more so than their predecessors, enter college less academically well-prepared and with different goals and values than their classmates--differences that lead to different lives. They reveal that gender equity efforts have wrought large, sometimes unanticipated changes. And they show that the alumni appetite for winning teams is not--as schools often assume--insatiable. If a culprit emerges, it is the unquestioned spread of a changed athletic culture through the emulation of highly publicized teams by low-profile sports, of men's programs by women's, and of athletic powerhouses by small colleges. Shulman and Bowen celebrate the benefits of collegiate sports, while identifying the subtle ways in which athletic intensification can pull even prestigious institutions from their missions. By examining how athletes and other graduates view The Game of Life--and how colleges shape society's view of what its rules should be--Bowen and Shulman go far beyond sports. They tell us about higher education today: the ways in which colleges set policies, reinforce or neglect their core mission, and send signals about what matters.

Stereotype Threat

Stereotype Threat
Author: Michael Inzlicht
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2012
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0199732442

The 21st century has brought with it unparalleled levels of diversity in the classroom and the workforce. It is now common to see in elementary school, high school, and university classrooms, not to mention boardrooms and factory floors, a mixture of ethnicities, races, genders, and religious affiliations. But these changes in academic and economic opportunities have not directly translated into an elimination of group disparities in academic performance, career opportunities, and levels of advancement. Standard explanations for these disparities, which are vehemently debated in the scientific community and popular press, range from the view that women and minorities are genetically endowed with inferior abilities to the view that members of these demographic groups are products of environments that frustrate the development of the skills needed for success. Although these explanations differ along a continuum of nature vs. nurture, they share in common a presumption that a large chunk of our population lacks the potential to achieve academic and career success.In contrast to intractable factors like biology or upbringing, the research summarized in this book suggests that factors in one's immediate situation play a critical yet underappreciated role in temporarily suppressing the intellectual performance of women and minorities, creating an illusion of group differences in ability. Research conducted over the course of the last fifteen years suggests the mere existence of cultural stereotypes that assert the intellectual inferiority of these groups creates a threatening intellectual environment for stigmatized individuals - a climate where anything they say or do is interpreted through the lens of low expectations. This stereotype threat can ultimately interfere with intellectual functioning and academic engagement, setting the stage for later differences in educational attainment, career choice, and job advancement.

Stereotype Threat and the Student-Athlete

Stereotype Threat and the Student-Athlete
Author: Thomas S. Dee
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2013
Genre:
ISBN:

Achievement gaps may reflect the cognitive impairment thought to occur in evaluative settings (e.g., classrooms) where a stereotyped identity is salient (i.e., stereotype threat). This study presents an economic model of stereotype threat that reconciles prior evidence on how student effort and performance are influenced by this social-identity phenomenon. This study also presents empirical evidence from a framed field experiment in which students at a selective college were randomly assigned to a treatment that primed their awareness of a negatively stereotyped identity (i.e., student-athlete). This social-identity manipulation reduced the test-score performance of athletes relative to non-athletes by 12%. These negative performance effects were concentrated among male student-athletes who also responded to the social-identity manipulation by attempting to answer more questions.

Sport Psychology for Young Athletes

Sport Psychology for Young Athletes
Author: Camilla J. Knight
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2017-10-02
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1134820283

Understanding and applying psychology within youth sport settings is key to maximising young athletes’ enjoyment, wellbeing, and sporting performance. Written by a team of leading international researcher-practitioners, this book is the first to offer an evidence-based introduction to the theory and practice of sport psychology for children and young athletes. It provides practical strategies and guidance for those working in or researching youth sport, demonstrating how to integrate sport psychology effectively in a variety of youth sport contexts. With real-life case studies that demonstrate psychological theory put into practice, it discusses a wide spectrum of issues faced by young athletes and recommends the best approaches to addressing them. Key topics covered include: the cognitive, social, and physical development of young athletes optimising fun, motivation, and self-confidence enhancing young athletes’ relationships with coaches, parents, and peers managing stress, injuries, and transitions effectively developing talent and long-term engagement in sport encouraging organisational culture change. The most up-to-date and authoritative guide to sport psychology for young people, this is essential reading for anyone working in youth sport.

Reclaiming the Game

Reclaiming the Game
Author: William G. Bowen
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 497
Release: 2011-06-27
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1400840708

In Reclaiming the Game, William Bowen and Sarah Levin disentangle the admissions and academic experiences of recruited athletes, walk-on athletes, and other students. In a field overwhelmed by reliance on anecdotes, the factual findings are striking--and sobering. Anyone seriously concerned about higher education will find it hard to wish away the evidence that athletic recruitment is problematic even at those schools that do not offer athletic scholarships. Thanks to an expansion of the College and Beyond database that resulted in the highly influential studies The Shape of the River and The Game of Life, the authors are able to analyze in great detail the backgrounds, academic qualifications, and college outcomes of athletes and their classmates at thirty-three academically selective colleges and universities that do not offer athletic scholarships. They show that recruited athletes at these schools are as much as four times more likely to gain admission than are other applicants with similar academic credentials. The data also demonstrate that the typical recruit is substantially more likely to end up in the bottom third of the college class than is either the typical walk-on or the student who does not play college sports. Even more troubling is the dramatic evidence that recruited athletes "underperform:" they do even less well academically than predicted by their test scores and high school grades. Over the last four decades, the athletic-academic divide on elite campuses has widened substantially. This book examines the forces that have been driving this process and presents concrete proposals for reform. At its core, Reclaiming the Game is an argument for re-establishing athletics as a means of fulfilling--instead of undermining--the educational missions of our colleges and universities.

Psychology of Gender

Psychology of Gender
Author: Vicki S. Helgeson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 964
Release: 2016-07-07
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317286359

Noted for its fair and equal coverage of men and women, this book reviews the research and issues surrounding gender from multiple perspectives including psychology, sociology, anthropology, and public health, with an emphasis on the interaction between biological and social theories. The implications of social roles, status, and gender-related traits on relationships and health that are central to students' daily lives are emphasized throughout. Students learn how to distinguish the similarities and differences between the sexes and the theories that explain the differences. Methodological flaws that may impact the observance of sex differences are also examined. Learning activities and pedagogical tools included in the text: Do Gender exercises which provide an opportunity to test hypotheses and explore data Sidebars on special interest topics and numerous visuals that bring the studies to life Take Home Points that summarize key concepts in bulleted format Boldfaced key terms and definitions, chapter summaries, discussion questions, and suggested readings which help students review the material New to the 5th Edition: Expanded sections on cohabitation, homosexuality, online relationships, social media influences, single-sex classrooms, sex differences in math abilities, and gender implications of divorce on health Expanded coverage of gender and parenting, gender and the workplace, gender and power, and balancing work and family An expanded intersectional approach that highlights how gender is connected to social class, race, and ethnicity, including more coverage of gender system justification theory Coverage of transgender issues including recent changes in the DSM guidelines Streamlined discussions to further engage students to think about gender issues A companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/Helgeson where instructors will find Power Point slides, multiple choice quizzes, and short answer questions with suggested answers for each chapter; and students will find flashcards of key terms, chapter outlines, and links to related websites and further reading Divided into three parts, each section builds on the previous one. First, gender and the development of gender roles across cultures are introduced. Scientific methods used to study gender, attitudes toward gender, and the latest data and theories on sex differences in cognitive, social, and emotional domains are then introduced. Theories of gender-role development, including evolutionary, social learning, social role, and gender schema theories are reviewed along with the implications of gender on achievement. Part one reviews the key information on the similarities and differences between the sexes and the theories that explain the differences which lay the foundation for the remainder of the book. Part two examines the role of gender in relationships including communication styles and the impact of these interactions on friendship and romantic relationships. The third part examines the role of gender on physical and mental health. The effects of marriage and parenting on health are reviewed, including domestic abuse, along with how gender affects the association between work and health. This is an ideal text for upper level gender-focused courses including the psychology of gender, psychology of women or men, gender issues, and gender, women’s, or men’s studies taught in psychology, women’s studies, gender studies, sociology, and anthropology.

Making the Connection

Making the Connection
Author: Eddie Comeaux
Publisher: IAP
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2015-05-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1681230267

Making the Connection: Data-Informed Practices in Academic Support Centers for College Athletes is practical and ideal for those who seek to use research to inform their individual and organizational practices. This volume is primarily intended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students, though scholars, researchers, teachers, practitioners, coaches, athletics administrators, and advocates of intercollegiate athletics will also find it useful. It comprises a series of chapters that cover a wide range of evidence-based approaches designed to enhance the practices of those who work closely with college athletes. Given the breadth of the field overall, this single volume is not exhaustive, but the current concerns, challenges, and themes of relevance to higher education researchers, practitioners, and others are well addressed. The intent of the text is to spark conversation about how college and university constituents can reframe their thinking about the importance of innovative research to careful, informed practice. Likewise, the contributors hope that it will inspire greater awareness and action among practitioners, as well as advance scholarship in the area of athletics. Each chapter includes current research, and in some cases theoretical perspectives, which should assist practitioners enhance the well-being of college athletes. Each chapter also offers guided discussion questions that are ideal for use as the basis of further conversation in the classroom setting. Adopters of this text will benefit from leading voices in the field who delve into complex issues, shedding new light and presenting unique opportunities for understanding a diversity of perspectives on evidence-based practices in support centers for athletes. In all, this volume provides a rich portrait of data-driven practices designed to assist practitioners and others who work closely with college athletes, and lays the groundwork for an ambitious and long overdue agenda to further develop innovative research that informs the practices of athletics stakeholders and improves the quality of experiences for college athletes.