Student-athletes “taking the road less traveled:” Social Comparison Theory and the academically elite NCAA Division III institution

References

• “2018–2019 Standings”. (2019). Learfield IMG Director’s Cup. https://thedirectorscup.com/current-standings1/2018-19-standings/
   Google Scholar
• “About the Director’s Cup”. (2020). Learfield IMG Director’s Cup. https://thedirectorscup.com/about/
   Google Scholar
• Bass, J. R., Pfleegor, A. G., Katz, M., & Schaeperkoetter, C. C. (2014, April 23). Why D3? A holistic exploration of Division III institutions and their student-athletes. Presented at the college sports research institute conference in Columbia, South Carolina.
   Google Scholar
• Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
   Google Scholar
• Buunk, A. P., & Gibbons, F. X. (2007). Social comparison: The end of a theory and the emergence of a field. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 102(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2006.09.007
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• “Division III 2020-2021 Facts and Figures”. (2020). NCAA. https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/about/d3/D3_FactandFigures.pdf
   Google Scholar
• Espenshade, T. J., Hale, L. E., & Chung, C. Y. (2005). The frog pond revisited: High school academic context, class rank, and elite college admission. Sociology of Education, 78(4), 269–293. https://doi.org/10.1177/003804070507800401
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Felson, R. B., & Reed, M. D. (1986). Reference groups and self-appraisals of academic ability and performance. Social Psychology Quarterly, 103–109. https://doi.org/10.2307/2786722
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Feltz, D. L. (2007). Self-confidence and sports performance. In D. Smith & M. Bar-Eli (Eds.), Essential readings in sport and exercise psychology. Human Kinetics.
   Google Scholar
• Gratton, C., & Jones, I. (2004). Research methods for sport studies. Routledge.
   Google Scholar
• Huguet, P., Dumas, F., Marsh, H., Régner, I., Wheeler, L., Suls, J., Seaton, M., & Nezlek, J. (2009). Clarifying the role of social comparison in the big-fish–little-pond effect (BFLPE): An integrative study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97(1), 156–170. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015558
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2008). Educational research. Sage.
   Google Scholar
• Katz, M., Pfleegor, A. G., Schaeperkoetter, C., & Bass, J. (2015). Factors for success in Division III athletics. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 8, 102–122.
   Google Scholar
• Kröner, S., & Biermann, A. (2007). The relationship between confidence and self-concept — towards a model of response confidence. Intelligence, 35(6), 580–590. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2006.09.009
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Krueger, J. (2013). In J. Suls, & L. Wheeler (Eds.), Handbook of social comparison: Theory and research. Springer Science & Business Media.
   Google Scholar
• Marsh, H. W. (1987). The big-fish-little-pond effect on academic self-concept. Journal of Educational Psychology, 79(3), 280–295. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.79.3.280
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Marsh, H. W., Kuyper, H., Morin, A. J., Parker, P. D., & Seaton, M. (2014). Big-fish-little-pond social comparison and local dominance effects: Integrating new statistical models, methodology, design, theory and substantive implications. Learning and Instruction, 33, 50–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.04.002
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Marsh, H. W., Seaton, M., Trautwein, U., Lüdtke, O., Hau, K. T., O’Mara, A. J., & Craven, R. G. (2008). The big-fish–little-pond-effect stands up to critical scrutiny: Implications for theory, methodology, and future research. Educational Psychology Review, 20(3), 319–350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-008-9075-6
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage.
   Google Scholar
• Morse, R., Brooks, E., & Mason, M. (2019, September 8). How U.S. News calculated the 2020 Best Colleges rankings. U.S. News. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings
   Google Scholar
• Pelham, B. W., & Wachsmuth, J. O. (1995). The waxing and waning of the social self: Assimilation and contrast in social comparison. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 825–838. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.5.825
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22(2), 63–75.
   Google Scholar
• Stankov, L., Lee, J., Luo, W., & Hogan, D. J. (2012). Confidence: A better predictor of academic achievement than self-efficacy, self-concept and anxiety? Learning and Individual Differences, 22(6), 747–758. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2012.05.013
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Tajfel, H. (1982). Social psychology of intergroup relations. Annual Review of Psychology, 33(1), 1–39. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.33.020182.000245
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In S. Worchel, & W. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (2nd ed., pp. 7–24). Nelson-Hall.
   Google Scholar
• Trautwein, U., Gerlach, E., & Lüdtke, O. (2008). Athletic classmates, physical self-concept, and free-time physical activity: A longitudinal study of frame of reference effects. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(4), 988–1001. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.100.4.988
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• “U.S. News Best Colleges”. (2019, September 8). U.S. News. https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges
   Google Scholar
• VanYperen, N. W. (1992). Self-Enhancement Among major League soccer players: The role of importance and ambiguity on Social Comparison Behavior1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(15), 1186–1198. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1992.tb02359.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wood, J. V. (1989). Theory and research concerning social comparisons of personal attributes. Psychological Bulletin, 106(2), 231–248. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.106.2.231
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar