Relationship between domain-specific self-perceptions and sports engagement among college students

BACKGROUND: To examine if male and female college students differ in domain-specific self-perceptions, depending on whether they engage in sport (individual or team) or not, and if experience in sport and/or level of sport engagement contribute to obtained results in their self-perceptions. METHODS: The sample includes 786 students, 366 males and 420 females. Out of the total sample of University of Novi Sad (Serbia) college students, 253 students are not engaged in sport, 182 are engaged in individual sports and 351 in team sports. The research (summer semester 2017) applied the questionnaire Self-perception Profile for College Students; scores on domain-specific self-perception subscales are dependent variables, while sports engagement (individual, team sport or non-athlete), experience in sports, and level of sports engagement are independent variables. RESULTS: Considering overall sample and variables, results obtained by General Linear Model show that there are statistically significant differences in self-perception among college students of both genders, depending on if they participate in individual sport or team sport or are not sport active at all. Significant univariate main effects on self-perception were obtained for gender, type of sports engagement - individual sport/team sport/non-athlete, and experience in sports engagement, but not for level of sports engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Sports engagement may be guide to healthy self-concept, as this study found that longer the sports engagement is, the greater are effects on domain-specific self-perceptions, especially in female sample.