Fostering Emotional Literacy in Male Student Athletes
Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Matthew Genuchi (Mentor), Boise State University
Abstract
Emotional illiteracy and distress are common factors that influence a person’s behaviors and prevent them from reaching a state of calmness. These problems are especially prevalent in men and can result in negative coping mechanisms, such as alcohol and drug abuse. The cause of these problems can stem from the social stigma surrounding men’s emotional expression and the concept of masculinity. Promoting emotional literacy requires learning how to better understand one’s own emotions and how to better handle discomfort and distress. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to promote healthy men with increased emotional literacy and additional coping mechanisms to manage their distress. As a part of this study, male student athletes were tasked with attending a 10 session program that targets the development of social-emotional skills with an emphasis on understanding several different aspects of the culture behind men and masculinity. Student athletes met once a month for the group intervention, and over three different timepoints, completed a survey containing established measures of Distress Tolerance, Emotional literacy, and sense of Belongingness. The scales were used to measure the changes of the participants’ responses over the course of the study. Data collection has been completed and data analysis is currently underway, there is also the possibility of structural changes to the intervention format to increase retention rate of the participants.
Fostering Emotional Literacy in Male Student Athletes
Emotional illiteracy and distress are common factors that influence a person’s behaviors and prevent them from reaching a state of calmness. These problems are especially prevalent in men and can result in negative coping mechanisms, such as alcohol and drug abuse. The cause of these problems can stem from the social stigma surrounding men’s emotional expression and the concept of masculinity. Promoting emotional literacy requires learning how to better understand one’s own emotions and how to better handle discomfort and distress. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to promote healthy men with increased emotional literacy and additional coping mechanisms to manage their distress. As a part of this study, male student athletes were tasked with attending a 10 session program that targets the development of social-emotional skills with an emphasis on understanding several different aspects of the culture behind men and masculinity. Student athletes met once a month for the group intervention, and over three different timepoints, completed a survey containing established measures of Distress Tolerance, Emotional literacy, and sense of Belongingness. The scales were used to measure the changes of the participants’ responses over the course of the study. Data collection has been completed and data analysis is currently underway, there is also the possibility of structural changes to the intervention format to increase retention rate of the participants.