Journal of Black Studies

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Register here to gain access to SAGE's 500+ Journals Online

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Turner, D.
Right arrow Articles by Jones, I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
This version was published on November 1, 2007
Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 38, No. 2, 155-176 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0021934705285178

False Start?

U.K. Sprint Coaches and Black/White Stereotypes

David Turner

University of Hertfordshire

Ian Jones

University of Luton

U.K. sprint coaches' employment of common racial stereotypes in explaining the success of Black and White sprinters was studied. It was hypothesized that Black success would be attributed to innate genetic factors, whereas White success would be attributed to socioeconomic advantages, intelligence, and hard work. Thirty-one sprint coaches participated in success attribution exercises. Quantitative results revealed that Black and White photograph conditions were generally scored similarly in relation to stereotypical factors. However, qualitative results indicated some stereotype replication and susceptibility to natural ability stereotypes due to an overemphasis on biological determinism, and modest recognition of less immediately apparent developmental factors. Although reassuring evidence was gained that U.K. sprint coaches do not widely employ stereotypes in attributing differently the success of Black and White athletes, there was sufficient evidence to necessitate continued vigilance. A theoretical model of stereotype influences in sprinting and recommendations for both coaching and coach education are presented.

Key Words: racial stereotypes • sports coaching • sprinting • success attribution

References

  • Atkinson, R.L., Atkinson, R.C., Smith, E.E., & Bem, D.J. (1993). Introduction to psychology (11th ed.). Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace.
  • Baker, J., & Horton, S. (2003). East African running dominance revisited: A role for stereotype threat? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 37, 553-555.[CrossRef]
  • Bamshad, M.J., & Olson, S.E. (2003). Does race exist? Scientific American, 289(6), 50-57.[ISI][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Bargh, J.A., Chen, M., & Burrows, L. (1996). Automaticity of social behaviour: Direct effects of trait construct and stereotype activation on action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(2), 230-245.[CrossRef][ISI][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Birrell, S. (1989). Racial relations theories and sport: Suggestions for a more critical analysis. Sociology of Sport Journal, 6, 212-227.
  • Bloom, G.A., Durand-Bush, N., Schinke, R.J., & Salmela, J.H. (1999). The importance of mentoring in the development of coaches and athletes. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 29, 267-281.[ISI]
  • Bonnett, A. (1998). Who was White? The disappearance of non-European White identities and the formation of European racial Whiteness. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 21, 1029-1054.[ISI]
  • Coakley, J.J. (2003). Sport in society: Issues and controversies (8th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
  • Cote, J., Salmela, J.H., Baria, A., & Russell, S. (1993). Organising and interpreting unstructured qualitative data. The Sport Psychologist, 7, 127-137.
  • Cross, W.E. (1995). The psychology of Nigrescence: Revising the Cross model. In J. G. Ponterotto, J. M. Casas, L. A. Suzuki, & C. M. Alexander (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural counseling (pp. 93-122). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Davis, L.R. (1990). The articulation of difference: White preoccupation with the question of racially linked genetic differences among athletes. Sociology of Sport Journal, 7, 179-187.[ISI]
  • Denham, B.E., Billings, A.C., & Halone, K.K. (2002). Differential accounts of race in broadcast commentary of the 2000 NCAA men's and women's final four basketball tournaments. Sociology of Sport Journal, 19, 315-332.[ISI]
  • Entine, J. (2000). Taboo: Why Black athletes dominate sports and why we're afraid to talk about it. New York: Public Affairs.
  • Fanon, F. (1992). The fact of Blackness. In J. Donald & A. Ratansani (Eds.), Race, culture and difference (pp. 220-240). Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
  • George, J. (1994). The virtual disappearance of the White male sprinter in the United States: A speculative essay. Sociology of Sport Journal, 11(1), 70-78.[ISI]
  • Halinan, C.J. (1994). The presentation of human biological diversity in sport and exercise science textbooks: The example of race. Journal of Sport Behaviour, 17, 3-15.
  • Hall, S. (1996). Politics of identity. In T. Ranger, Y. Samad, & O. Stuart (Eds.), Culture, identity and politics (pp. 129-135). Aldershot: Avebury.
  • Hamilton, D.L., Sherman, S.J., & Ruvolo, C.M. (1990). Stereotype-based expectancies: Effects on information processing and social behaviour. Journal of Social Issues, 46(2), 35-60.[ISI]
  • Harrison, L., Jr. (2001). Understanding the influence of stereotypes: Implications for the African American in sport and physical activity. Quest, 53, 97-114.[ISI]
  • Harrison, L., Jr., Harrison, C.K., & Moore, L.N. (2002). African American racial identity and sport. Sport, Education and Society, 7(2), 121-133.[CrossRef][ISI]
  • Harrison, L., Jr., Lee, A.M., & Belcher, D. (1999). Race and gender differences in sport participation as a function of self-schema. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 23, 287-307.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Hewstone, M., Stroebe, W., & Stephenson, G.M. (1996). Introduction to social psychology (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Hoberman, J. (1997). Darwin's athletes: How sport has damaged Black America and preserved the myth of race. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
  • Hoberman, J. (2000). The price of "Black dominance." Society, 37(3), 49-56.
  • Horn, T.S., Lox, C., & Labrador, F. (2001). The self-fulfilling prophecy theory: When coaches' expectations become reality. In J. M. Williams (Ed.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (2nd ed., pp. 74-91). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.
  • Johnson, D.L., Hallinan, C.J., & Westerfield, R.C. (1999). Picturing success: Photographs and stereotyping in men's collegiate basketball. Journal of Sport Behaviour, 22, 45-54.
  • Jones, R.L. (2002). The Black experience within English semiprofessional soccer. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 26(1), 47-65.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Kunda, Z., & Thagard, P. (1996). Forming impressions from stereotypes, traits and behaviours: A parallel-constraints satisfaction theory. Psychological Review, 103, 284-308.[CrossRef][ISI]
  • Levy, G.D. (2000). Individual differences in race schematicity as predictors of African American and White children's race relevant memories and peer preferences. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 161, 400-420.
  • Long, J., & Hylton, K. (2002). Shades of White: An examination of Whiteness in sport. Leisure Studies, 21, 87-103.[CrossRef]
  • Markus, H., & Nuris, P. (1986). Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41(9), 954-969.[CrossRef]
  • Martin, C.L., & Parker, S. (1995). Folk theories about sex and race differences. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 45-57.
  • McCarthy, D., Jones, R.L., & Potrac, P. (2003). Constructing images and interpreting realities: The case of the Black soccer player on television. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 38(2), 217-238.[Abstract]
  • Myers, D.G. (2001). Social psychology (7th ed.). London: McGraw-Hill.
  • Norris, J., & Jones, R.L. (1998). Towards a clearer definition and application of the centrality hypothesis in English professional association football. Journal of Sport Behaviour, 21(2), 181-196.
  • Ostrom, T.M., Carpenter, S.L., Sedikides, C., & Li, F. (1993). Differential processing of in-group and out-group information. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64(1), 21-34.[CrossRef][ISI]
  • Potrac, P., Jones, R., & Armour, K. (2002). "It's all about getting respect": The coaching behaviours of an expert English soccer coach. Sport, Education and Society, 7(2), 183-202.[CrossRef][ISI]
  • Rasmussen, R., Esgate, A., & Turner, D. (2005). On your marks. Get stereotyped. Go! Novice coaches and Black stereotypes in sprinting. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 29(4), 426-436.[Abstract]
  • Rushall, B.S. (1985). Several principles of modern coaching. Sports Coach, 8(3), 40-44.
  • Samson, J., & Yerles, M. (1988). Racial differences in sports performance. Canadian Journal of Sports Science, 13(2), 109-116.
  • Shermer, M. (2000). Blood, sweat, and fears: Why some Black athletes dominate some sports and what it really means. Skeptic, 8, 44-50.
  • Sinclair, D.A., & Vealey, R.S. (1989). Effects of coaches' expectation and feedback on the self-perceptions of athletes. Journal of Sport Behaviour, 12, 77-91.
  • Singer, R.N., & Janelle, C.M. (1999). Determining sport expertise: From genes to supremes. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 30, 117-150.[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Smith, E. (1995). The self-fulfilling prophecy: Genetically superior African American athletes. Humboldt Journal of Social Relations, 21(2), 139-163.
  • Solomon, G.B., DiMarco, A.M., Ohlson, C.J., & Reece, S.D. (1998). Expectations and coaching experience: Is more better? Journal of Sport Behaviour, 21(4), 444-456.
  • Solomon, G.B., Striegal, D.A., Eliot, J.F., & Heon, S.N. (1996). The self-fulfilling prophecy in college basketball: Implications for effective coaching. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 8, 44-59.
  • Solomon, G.B., Wiegardt, P.A., Yusuf, F.R., Kosmitzki, C., Williams, J., & Stevens, C.E. (1996). Expectancies and ethnicity: The self-fulfilling prophecy in college basketball. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18, 83-88.
  • St. Louis, B. (2004). Sport and common-sense racial science. Leisure Studies, 23(1), 31-46.[CrossRef]
  • Steele, C.M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797-811.[CrossRef][ISI][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Stone, J., Lynch, C.I., Sjomeling, M., & Darley, J.M. (1999). Stereotype threat effects on Black and White athletic performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 1213-1227.[CrossRef][ISI]
  • Walton, G.M., & Cohen, G.L. (2003). Stereotype lift. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 39(5), 456-468.[CrossRef][ISI]

Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?



This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Turner, D.
Right arrow Articles by Jones, I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?