On identity and sport conduct of student-athletes: Considering athletic and academic contexts

Academics and athletics constitute two important and dominant social contexts that shape and develop student-athletes' motivation, achievement, and conduct. The current study considered the academic and athletic contexts within which student-athletes live, achieve, and thrive to examine whether identity predicted sport conduct directly and indirectly through achievement goals. Design: A cross-sectional design was used. Method: Undergraduate varsity student-athletes (N = 1151, 55.8% males) from nine NCAA Division I institutions completed questionnaires assessing academic and athletic identity, athletic task and ego orientation, academic mastery and performance goals, and the three dimensions of sport conduct (sportspersonship, gamesmanship, and instrumental aggression). Results: Multilevel structural equation modeling indicated the following: Athletic identity negatively predicted sportspersonship and positively predicted instrumental aggression. Task goal orientation enhanced the magnitude of the negative relationship between athletic identity and sportspersonship (played a role of suppressor). Positive indirect relationships through ego goal and mastery goal were found between athletic identity and gamesmanship. Opposing indirect relationships through task and ego, and mastery goals were found between athletic identity and instrumental aggression. Academic identity positively predicted sportspersonship and negatively predicted gamesmanship. Negative indirect relationships through mastery goal emerged between academic identity and gamesmanship, and between academic identity and instrumental aggression. Conclusions: Academic and athletic identity can predict sport conduct, and achievement goals partially explain these predictions. The findings highlight that academic context may play a salient role in regulating ethical sport conduct of student-athletes.