Date of Degree

5-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program

Education

Advisor

Norman St. Clair

Advisor

James Simpson

Advisor

Randall Griffiths

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative regression analysis was to test examine the association between romantic relationships to athletic performance, after controlling for gender, sport, grade, and partner athlete status for student athletes at a private catholic university in South Texas. Being a student-athlete comes with a lot of pressure and expectations. Research has shown how performance from a student-athlete is crucial from keeping their scholarship from being on thin ice (Gord, 2018). Studies have helped point how relationships can influence athlete performance in some way, whether it is family, coach, teammates and friends, or romantic (Bolter & Weiss, 2012; Moll, Jordet, & Pepping, 2010; Sager & Lavallee, 2010). Literature shows the importance of performance for an athlete and how an external variable such as a relationship can alter that. If performance is a determining factor for maintaining a scholarship and a relationship can alter performance, the use of this literature attempts to help aid the research questions in this study by showing the relationship between romantic relationships and student-athlete performance. This study examined the association between romantic relationships and student-athlete performance at a private catholic university in South Texas. In addition, Gender, Sport, Grade, and Partner Athlete Status were examined to see if they were predictors to Satisfaction with Performance. Both Sternberg’s Triangular Love Theory passion component (1986) and Chelladuari and Riemer’s (1997) Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire were used to measure the relationship in this study. The results of this study showed that romantic relationships and athletic performance are significant, but no significance with the predicting variables, gender, sport, grade level, and partner athlete status. This provides a foundation for this area of study, since there is little to no research on this area of study (Muzika, 2018). These findings may not be generalizable for all student-athletes, but it does present that there is a significant correlation between romantic relationships and athletic performance. Obviously, this study does not bridge the gap on this topic, but it does shorten it some.

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