Identity Development Among Intramural Sports Participants

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to provide a replication of a similar study completed by Murphy (1985). Murphy hoped to find a positive relationship between intramural participation and student development but his findings were not conclusive, and, therefore, a replication of the study was needed to further investigate the link between student development and intramural sports. This study attempted to determine the relationship between student intramural participation and the normative data of college students from the Erwin Identity Scale (EIS) (Erwin, 1979). The EIS was the instrument used, and was a scale designed to assess a student's sense of identity. A total of 101 college intramural sports participants of the ages of 18-24 from a large university located in the south central part of the United States were studied. The study helped identify the influence of participation in intramural sports on the emergence of adult identity. Understanding if intramural participants had higher levels of identity may help with the understanding of the overall development of college students. This understanding would recognize intramural sports programs as a part of a college student's educational process. It is important to understand that participation in intramural and recreational sports programs was found to be one of the most fundamental ways in which individuals can prepare for lifelong enjoyment of their leisure time (Broughton, & Griffin 1994).