Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Division I College Athletes’ Self-Perception: Investigating The Impact Of Race And Discrimination, Sean Strehlow, Sayvon Jl Foster, Rhema Fuller, B. David Ridpath, Alison Fridley, Sarah Stokowski

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Self-perception is the level of competency at which individuals evaluate themselves in certain areas or domains (Marsh & Shavelson, 1985). An individual’s self-perceptions contribute to their global self-worth and even predicts performance (Cuellar, 2014; Harter & Neemann, 2012). This study measures self-perception scores, as well as experiences with racial discrimination, of 306 NCAA Division I college athletes using the Self-Perception Profile for College Students (Harter & Neemann, 2012). Scores are compared across race. Findings suggest that White college athletes have significantly higher self-perception scores than college athletes of color - with recent discrimination (within the last year) as a significant …