Gender Role Conflict, Athletic Identity, and Help-Seeking Among High School Football Players

Abstract

Gender role conflict (GRC) theory emphasizes social influences on masculine gender role expectations that produce negative outcomes among men. Because sport represents an influential domain in which boys learn expectations associated with manhood, this study explored masculinity socialization among high school football players through the lens of GRC. At the p < .05 significance criterion level, multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and multiple regression results suggest that year-in-school and athletic identity predicted differential levels of GRC, whereas year-in-school and restrictive emotionality predicted help-seeking attitudes. Findings can help sport psychologists assist adolescent males in making lessons learned on the gridiron applicable to relationships, to the classroom, and other domains of life outside of football.