Masculine gender role mediates sex and mindfulness skills in predicting student athletes’ sport-related anxiety and dispositional flow

Background and Study Aim. Reduced sport-related anxiety, increased dispositional flow, and greater use of mindfulness skills appear to be essential psychological components for success in student athletes. Decades of sport psychology research have identified gender differences in psychological chara...

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Main Authors: Errin Price, Luci Martin, Megan Granquist, Brent Blumenthal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IP Iermakov S.S. 2025-06-01
Series:Physical Education of Students
Subjects:
Online Access:https://sportedu.org.ua/index.php/PES/article/view/2245
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author Errin Price
Luci Martin
Megan Granquist
Brent Blumenthal
author_facet Errin Price
Luci Martin
Megan Granquist
Brent Blumenthal
author_sort Errin Price
collection DOAJ
description Background and Study Aim. Reduced sport-related anxiety, increased dispositional flow, and greater use of mindfulness skills appear to be essential psychological components for success in student athletes. Decades of sport psychology research have identified gender differences in psychological characteristics associated with sport performance in athletes, with little attention paid to the socialized contributions of sex. The aim of this study was to determine whether gender role better explains the relationships between sex and psychological sport outcomes. Material and Methods. The current study examined Division III student athletes (N = 100; 60% female; 46% White/European American). They ranged in age from 18 years to 23 years (M = 19.4, SD = 1.17, range = 18.0 - 23.0), with 1 to 6 years of experience in collegiate athletics (M = 2.45, SD = 1.44, range = 1-6). Participants completed self-report measures of gender role, mindfulness, sport-related anxiety, and dispositional flow. Results. While female athletes reported greater sport-related anxiety and less dispositional flow than male athletes, masculine gender role mediated the relationship between sex and sport-related anxiety, and sex and dispositional flow. Further, masculine gender role mediated the relationships between two mindfulness skills (acting with awareness and acceptance without judgment), and sport-related anxiety and dispositional flow. Feminine gender role did not serve a mediating function between variables. Conclusions. These findings suggest that socialization of sex, rather than sex assigned at birth, better explains gender differences reported in the literature. Future research needs to include measures of both sex and gender role to adequately examine gender differences.
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spelling doaj-art-4a433dae0d8a4e3ca8103ca871479ba12025-08-20T03:24:51ZengIP Iermakov S.S.Physical Education of Students2308-72502025-06-0129321222110.15561/20755279.2025.03082530Masculine gender role mediates sex and mindfulness skills in predicting student athletes’ sport-related anxiety and dispositional flowErrin Price0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1059-6905Luci Martin1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7805-7774Megan Granquist2https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9891-8336Brent Blumenthal3https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1409-7604University of La VerneUniversity of La VerneUniversity of La VerneUniversity of La VerneBackground and Study Aim. Reduced sport-related anxiety, increased dispositional flow, and greater use of mindfulness skills appear to be essential psychological components for success in student athletes. Decades of sport psychology research have identified gender differences in psychological characteristics associated with sport performance in athletes, with little attention paid to the socialized contributions of sex. The aim of this study was to determine whether gender role better explains the relationships between sex and psychological sport outcomes. Material and Methods. The current study examined Division III student athletes (N = 100; 60% female; 46% White/European American). They ranged in age from 18 years to 23 years (M = 19.4, SD = 1.17, range = 18.0 - 23.0), with 1 to 6 years of experience in collegiate athletics (M = 2.45, SD = 1.44, range = 1-6). Participants completed self-report measures of gender role, mindfulness, sport-related anxiety, and dispositional flow. Results. While female athletes reported greater sport-related anxiety and less dispositional flow than male athletes, masculine gender role mediated the relationship between sex and sport-related anxiety, and sex and dispositional flow. Further, masculine gender role mediated the relationships between two mindfulness skills (acting with awareness and acceptance without judgment), and sport-related anxiety and dispositional flow. Feminine gender role did not serve a mediating function between variables. Conclusions. These findings suggest that socialization of sex, rather than sex assigned at birth, better explains gender differences reported in the literature. Future research needs to include measures of both sex and gender role to adequately examine gender differences.https://sportedu.org.ua/index.php/PES/article/view/2245student athletes, mindfulness, gender role, sex, sport-related anxiety, flow
spellingShingle Errin Price
Luci Martin
Megan Granquist
Brent Blumenthal
Masculine gender role mediates sex and mindfulness skills in predicting student athletes’ sport-related anxiety and dispositional flow
Physical Education of Students
student athletes, mindfulness, gender role, sex, sport-related anxiety, flow
title Masculine gender role mediates sex and mindfulness skills in predicting student athletes’ sport-related anxiety and dispositional flow
title_full Masculine gender role mediates sex and mindfulness skills in predicting student athletes’ sport-related anxiety and dispositional flow
title_fullStr Masculine gender role mediates sex and mindfulness skills in predicting student athletes’ sport-related anxiety and dispositional flow
title_full_unstemmed Masculine gender role mediates sex and mindfulness skills in predicting student athletes’ sport-related anxiety and dispositional flow
title_short Masculine gender role mediates sex and mindfulness skills in predicting student athletes’ sport-related anxiety and dispositional flow
title_sort masculine gender role mediates sex and mindfulness skills in predicting student athletes sport related anxiety and dispositional flow
topic student athletes, mindfulness, gender role, sex, sport-related anxiety, flow
url https://sportedu.org.ua/index.php/PES/article/view/2245
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AT megangranquist masculinegenderrolemediatessexandmindfulnessskillsinpredictingstudentathletessportrelatedanxietyanddispositionalflow
AT brentblumenthal masculinegenderrolemediatessexandmindfulnessskillsinpredictingstudentathletessportrelatedanxietyanddispositionalflow