A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION COURSE UPON CONCEPT OF PHYSICAL SELF AND ATTITUDES TOWARD PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG COLLEGE WOMEN Thesis Ior II'ne Degree oI M. A. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LaVaughn Rae Garland £960 LIBRARY Michigan State University A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION COURSE UPON CONCEPT OF PHYSICAL SELF AND ATTITUDES TOWARD PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG COLLEGE WOMEN BY LaVaughn Rae Gerland AN ABSTRACT Submitted to the College of Education of Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation 1960 Approved CQ\[€( L541" (a: (W119 KQQL ABSTRACT LAVAUGHN RAE GERLAND Statement of the Problem This was a preliminary study concerned with students' evaluations of the Foundations of Physical Education Course required of all freshman women at Iviichigan State University. The purpose of this study was threefold: 1. To determine the students' present concept of physical self, existing attitudes toward physical activity, and selected environmental and physical recreational back-- ground factors. 2. To determine if favorable or unfavorable evaluation of the course is related to concept of self, attitudes toward physical activity, and selected environmental and physical recreational background. 3. To determine if changes occur in concept of physical self, attitudes toward physical education and physical recreation as measured in this study. Procedure The questionnaire technique was used in this study to secure information from two hundred students randomly selected from the 1818 who were enrolled in the Foundations of Physical Education Course. Five areas were chosen from which pertinent data would be ABSTRACT obtained: 3 LAVAU GH N RAE GERLAND (l) Attitudes, (2) Physical recreation activities, (3) Physical self-concept, (4) Environmental background, and (5) Student evaluation of the Foundations of Physical Education Course. Conclusions A greater percentage of students rated their general skill level, concept of physical self, and specific skill level in sports, swimming, and dance above average than below average. A greater percentage of students rated their general attitude toward physical education as an activity class and attitude toward participation in physical recreation favorable or above. No significant relationship was found between favorable and unfavorable acceptance of the Foundations Course and five selected background factors; i. e. , Michigan residence and non-residence, size of high school, required physical education program in the high school, actual number of years of participation in physical education in high school, and type of locality of home town. A significant relationship was found between favorable and unfavorable acceptance of the Foundations Course and the 4 ABSTRACT LAVAU GHN RAE GERLAND students' evaluations of the various phases; i. e. , amount of physical activity in the course, influence in planning future courses in physical education, experience of physical change due to activity and knowledge gained in the Foundations Course, and application of material to daily living. 5. No significant relationship was found between favorable and unfavorable acceptance of the Foundations Course and physical recreation factors; i. e. , importance of physical recreation as part of students' total recreational program, skill in recreational activities. leisure time spent in recreational activities, enjoyment of regular participation in recreational activities. 6. No significant relationship was found between favorable and unfavorable acceptance of the Foundations Course and aspects related to the physical self; i. e. , physical condition, figure, posture, and skill level. 7. No significant change was found in attitude toward physical education as measured by one general attitude statement and the Wear Attitude Inventory. 8. No significant change was found in attitude toward participating in physical recreational activities. 9. A significant change was found in concept of physical self; i._ e. , physical condition, figure, and posture. A STUDY TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION COURSE UPON CONCEPT OF PHYSICAL SELF AND ATTITUDES TOWARD PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG COLLEGE WOMEN By LaVaughn Rae Ge rland A THESIS Submitted to the College of Education of Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MAS TER OF ARTS Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation 1960 ii ACKNOW LEDGMEN TS The author is grateful for the opportunity to complete this study under the guidance and direction of Dr. Janet Wessel. Special. appreciation is due: to the staff members in the Women’s Physical Education Department for their assistance in securing materials for the study; to the freshman women students for their participation in this study; and to Robert Campbell for his technical assistance. LaVaughn R. Gerland iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION...................................... 1 Statement of the Problem 1 Need for the Study 2 Definition of Terms 3 Concept of Physical Self 3 Foundations of Physical Education 4 Attitude 4 Background Factors 5 Student Evaluation of the Foundations of Physical Education Course 5 Limitations of the Study 5 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE . . . . . .................... 7 7 Theoretical Background 7 The Self-Concept and the Importance of Self Understanding 8 Changes in the Self-Concept 1?. Physical Self-Concept 1 3 Concept of Attitudes 21 Changes in Attitude 2 3. Attitude Studies in Physical Education 2.5 Motivation and Concept of Self and Attitudes 31 Summary . 32 III. DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Method of Investigation--Questionnaire Technique '32 Selection of Subjects 3.7 Administration of the Questionnaire ’57 Statistical Methods Employed $8 IV. ANALYSIS OF DATA .................................. 41 Concepts of Students at Onset of Foundations Course 41 Chapter Physical Self Skill Level Attitudes toward Physical Education and Participation in Physical Recreation Analysis of Students' Evaluations Selected Background Factors Specific Aspects of the Foundations Course Physical Recreation Factors Extent of Physical Exertion in Daily Work Attitudes toward Physical Education and Participation in Physical Recreational Activities Concept of Physical Self Mean Difference in Attitude toward Physical Education, Physical Recreation, and Concept of Physical Self Othe r Findings Analysis of Factors Related to Skill Reasons for Participating in Physical Recreation Relationship of Skill to Attitude Inventory Relationship of Weight to Figure Rating Relationship of Weight-Rating to Attitude toward Physical Education V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . Summary Conclusions Recommendations for Further Study BIBLIOGRAPHY ............... . . . ........ . . . . . . . . ............ APPENDICES ................................................ APPENDIX A (Questionnaires APPENDIX B Distribution of Chi Square iv Page 41 43 43 45 45 52 57 62. 62 68 68 75 75 78 84 84 88 9O 90 90 93 94 101 Table 10. 11. 12.. L15 T OF TABLES Relationship of Michigan residence to evaluation of the Foundations Course . .............. . ....... . .......... Relationship of size of high school to evaluation of the Foundations Course .................. . ............... Relationship of required physical education to evaluation of the Foundations Course ............................ Relationship of excused and non-excused from high school physical education to evaluation of the Foundations Course Relationship of type of locality of home to evaluation of the Foundations Course ............................... Relationship of students' opinions as to amount of activity in the course to evaluation of the Foundations Course Relationship of students' opinions as to influence of course on planning future physical activities to evaluation of the Foundations Course ....................... . .......... Relationship of students' opinions as to physical change based on knowledge and activity to evaluation of the Foundations Course .................................. Relationship of students' opinions as to application of material as related to daily living to evaluation of the Foundations Course ....... . ...... . ................... Relationship of importance of physical education as sub- jectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course ................................. . ........... Relationship of recreational skill as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course ......... Relationship of time spent in physical education as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course .................................. Page 47 48 49 50 51 53 54 55 56 58 59 60 Table 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20 21. 22. 2.3. 24. vi Page Relationship of enjoyment of seasonal physical recreation as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course ............. . . ......... . ......... 61 Relationship of extent of strenuous physical exertion in daily living as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course ................. . . ..... . . . . . 63 Relationship of general attitude toward physical education as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course .................. . ................ 64 Relationship of Wear attitude inventory to evaluation of the Foundations Course .................... . . . . . . . ....... 65 Relationshipof General Attitude toward participating in physical recreation as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course . .................. 67 Relationship of general physical condition as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course . 69 Relationship of figure as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course . . . ................ 70 Relationship of posture as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course ...... . ............ 71 Relationship of overall skill in physical education as subjectively rated by students to evaluation of the Foundations Course .................................. 72 Relationship of skill level to amount of activity as subjectively rated by students ..... . ................... 76 Relationship of general skill level in physical education to skill level in recreational activities as subjectively rated bystudents...... ..................... .......... 77 Relationship of check list self-rating of sport activities to one item self—rating of skill level ..................... 79 Table 25. 26. 27. Relationship of Wear Attitude Inventory to Three Point Skill rating ............ Relationship of weight to figure rating as subjectively rated by students ....... Relationship of weight rating as objectively determined to Wear Attitude Inventory vii Page 86 87 89 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Concept of physical self as subjectively rated at onset by students of the Foundations Course . . . . . ........... 42 2. Concept of skill levels as subjectively rated by students at onset of the Foundations Course ................... 44 3. Attitude toward physical education and physical recreation at the onset of the Foundations Course ..... 46 4. Frequency distribution of reasons for participation in physical recreation activities ..... . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 8O 5. Frequency distribution of reasons for or against parents participating in physical recreation activities . . ....... 82 6. The extent of enjoyment of spectator events as subjectively rated by StudentsoOIOOOOOOCOOOO0......0.. 83 7. Extent of strenuous physical activity in daily living as subjectively rated by students ...... . . . . . . . . . . ..... . . . 85 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION "Every man is in certain respects like all men, like some other men, and like no other men. "1 The Foundations of Physical Education Course is based on this philosophy of Kluckhohn for it deals with the physical self and movement needs of all young women, the individual differences and needs of college girls, and the specific needs of each girl. Education is purposive. Education is a process of change in the behavior of man: knowledges, abilities, insights, and values. The fact that education implies change and also the fact that physical education is an integral part of the total curriculum suggests that physical educators should be interested in influencing change in the behavior of man. Statement of the Problem This was a preliminary study concerned primarily with student evaluation of the Foundations of Physical Education Course 1Clyde Kluckhohn, and Henry A. Murray ’(ed. ), Personalitj in Nature, Society, and Culture (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1951), p. 53. 2Charles C. Cowell and Hilda M. Schwehn, Modern Principles and Methods in High School Physical Education (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1958), pp. 3-4. required of all entering freshman women at Michigan State University. The purpose of this study was threefold: 1. To determine the students' present concept of physical self, existing attitudes toward physical activity, and selected environmental and physical recreational background factors. 2. To determine if favorable or unfavorable evaluation of the course is related to concept of physical self, attitudes toward physical activity, and selected environmental and physical recreational background. 3. To determine if changes occur in concept of physical self, attitudes toward physical education and physical recreation as measured in this study. Need for the Studj The establishment of personnel and guidance services on university and college campuses has presented a challenge to all educators to help students gain understanding of self, relationships with others, and forces outside of self, and environment. From an early age ideas and attitudes about oneself are woven into a pattern of life. Too often the development of these attitudes and ideas about self has just been left to chance. Probably one of the reasons for expending a minimum effort to assist students to greater self-understanding is that self—understanding is a process through life. Change is taking place continually. The nature of the self an individual acquires may depend largely on the kinds of personalities he is associated with and the culture after which his daily activities are patterned. The physical self-concept and attitudes have been viewed primarily through observation and personal opinion and little data have been collected on these areas as related to a course based on understanding of the physical self. Through this preliminary study evidence may be found: (1) to confirm or repudiate the opinion that the concept of physical self can be changed in a one term course, (2) whether or not the attitudes of women students toward physical education can be changed through a one term course, and (3) whether or not relationships exist between concept of physical self and attitudes toward physical education. It is hoped that these results may be helpful in selecting and arranging the materials for the Foundations of Physical Education Course and other instructional courses in the physical education program. Definition of Terms Concept of physical self. For the purpose of this study the concept of physical self is the perception the student has of her own physical and movement characteristics and the values she attaches to these perceptions such as: (l) strength, (2) endurance, (3) weight, (4) fat deposits, (5) body alignment, (6) muscle tonus. 3Kluckhohn and Murray, op. cit., p. 547. Foundations of Physical Education. The introductory physical education course required of all freshman women at Michigan State University. The material is based on knowing oneself physically through the knowledge, understanding, and application of the ”why" and "how” of physical activity. Attitude. Throughout this study attitude refers to the students' responses toward aspects of the physical education program and closely allied areas. of physical activity as measured by: (1) Wear Attitude Inventory developed for evaluating attitudes toward physical education as an activity class. 4 The scales include items dealing with all desirable categories of physical education. The inventory consists of forty items and the students indicate their response on a five point scale. Although originally designed for use in appraising attitudes of men toward physical education, it has been found to be a successful inven- tory for measuring attitudes of university women students toward physical education. 5 (2) Two items each based on a five point scale to measure: (a) overall attitude toward physical education and (b) overall attitude toward participating in physical recreation activities. 4Carlos L. Wear, "The Evaluation of Attitudes toward Physical Education as an Activity Course, " The Research Quarterly, 22 (March. 1951), pp. 114-26. 5Margaret Bell, C. Etta Walters and staff, "Attitudes of Women at the University of Michigan toward Physical Education, " The Research Quarter_ly, 24 (December, 1953), pp. 379-91. Background factors. In this study background factors refer to: Michigan residence and non-residence, size of high school, the required physical education program in the high school, number of years the student participated in the physical education program, and the type of locality of home town. Student evaluation of the Foundations of Physical Education Course. A questionnaire was used consisting of five items each based on a five point scale. One item was concerned with overall evaluation of the Foundations Course while four items indicated students' responses to specific parts of the course; amount of activity in the course, influence of course on planning future physical education activities, physical change based on knowledge and activity in the course, and application of material from the course into students' daily living. Limitations of the Studj 1. Limitations related to the sample. In order that this study might be conducted in as direct and orderly manner as possible, it was necessary to limit the scope of the investigation. This study was confined to two hundred freshman women students at Michigan State University selected randomly from a total of 1818 enrolled in the Foundations Course during the fall term of 1959. Six girls selected to serve as subjects did not complete the term at Michigan State University and two girls had medical problems and were transferred to the adapted physical education program. Consequently, completed returns were obtained on one hundred ninety-two students. 2. Limitations related to the instruments used. The limitations inherent in the questionnaire technique of investigation were recognized as limiting factors; namely, the degree of validity and reliability which accompanies the use of this technique. Also, the questions and technique used to determine concept of physical self were limitations. The study was limited to investigation of the relationship between variables; causation was not implied. It was the purpose of this study to determine only the existing attitudes toward physical activity and concept of physical self of the students and not to discover how or why these concepts and attitudes arose. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Theoretical Backjround One of the major changes in the American system of education is the widening revolutionary concern for the whole pupil in his life Situation. Educators have questioned the earlier organism orientation which viewed human behavior as being static and biologically determined. In an attempt to study human behavior the recent focus of attention has shifted to a more individualized one where the personality is viewed in a biosocial context. The self is the center of this new theory. Although we may accept the conviction that the self is important there has not been a great amount of research in this area. McCloy states: A number of studies conducted by the YMCA in interests and attitudes show a wide range of individual differences in each of these items, yet most programs that endeavor to allow for individual differences do so without accurate knowledge of what the facts may be. 1Herman J. Peters and Gail F. Farwell, Guidance: A Developmental Approach (Chicago: Rand McNally and Company, 1959), p. 2. 2C. H. McCloy, "Projects for Future Study by the Society for Directors of Physical Education in Colleges, " The Research Quarterly, 2 (March, 1931), p. 187. The Self-Concept and the Importance of Self-Under standing Snygg and Combs view the "self-concept” as "those parts of the phenomenal field which the individual has differentiated as definite and fairly stable characteristics of himself. " Others believe the most important single attribute is the view an individual has of himself and this self-viewing process is often seen as the key to understanding many behavioral events displayed by any single person. Jung4 feels the ”self is the mid-point of personality around which all of the other systems are constellated. It motivates man's behavior. “ Adler5 has recognized the importance of the self as a cause of behavior. Rogers' use of the "concept of self" is "the individual's perception of his own characteristics, his relation to others, and 6 7 the values he attaches to these perceptions. ” Raimy relates the 3Donald Snygg and Arthur W. Combs, Individual Behavior (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1949), p. 112. 4C. G. Jung, Two Essays on Analytical Psychology (Vol. ' VII of Collected Words, Bollingten Series, 20 Vols. , New York: Yale University Press), p. 219. _ 5Calvin Hall and Gardner 'Lindzey, Theories of Personality (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ), p. 117. 6Carl R. Rogers, “The Client Sees Himself, ” University gChicago Magazine, 45 (January, 1953), p. 10. 7Victor C. Raimy, "The Self-Concept as a Factor in Counseling and Personality Organization" (unpublished Ph. D. thesis, Ohio State University, 1943), p. 156. I self-concept is a learned perceptual system which functions as an object. He states that the self-concept not only influences behavior, but is itself restructured. 8 . Murphy feels the thing known as the self, the observed me, develops like an object of experience. The newborn have no clear awareness of self; but gradually through the observation of body surfaces, cathexis upon these physical entities, and comparison of them with other persons an "empirical self" is woven. ‘ 9 ' I ll ' Eric Fromm views 'the self as a system of ideas, attitudes, appraisals, and commitments pertaining to one's person. The person experiences these as belonging to him and all of them together constitute the person's awareness of his existence and who and what he is. He relates that these attitudes are influenced by learning. The importance of self-understanding has been cited by 10 , others. Kluckhohn feels that while there are many facets to a human personality, the most important is an individual's conception of himself for it is around the conception of self that the many other facets of a personality are formed and that what a person thinks of himself determines his behavior to an extent not commonly recognized. —_m 8Gardner Murphy, Human Potentialities (New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1958), p. 292. 9Eric Fromm, Man for Himself (New York: Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1947), pp. 67-82. 10Kluckhohn and Murray, op. cit., p. 547. 10 Hopkins11 has given important implications dealing with the importance of self-understanding. He relates that man has constantly improved his efficiency in those areas that have produced his material comforts. ”He has not developed his emotional—social stability, his creative intelligence, that basic process of learning necessary to make his ’gadgets' as well as his other activities work to his own good. ” Man makes the quality of his life out of the materials of his world—himself and his external environment. He must improve himself in the way in which the conditions of the world are affecting his growth. He must discover himself. The importance of learning a realistic concept of self is given by Lindgren.12 He believes the greater the gap between the idealized self and the real, the greater the possibility of anxiety. The gap is likely to be wider during adolescence and early adulthood than at any other time. The typical adolescent has not had an opportunity to try out life roles and to settle on the one he will play as an adult. "As we become to understand ourselves better, we become aware of our capabilities and limitations and thus can modify our self until it provides us with the goals which can actually be achieved in planning the activities of life." 11L. Thomas Hopkins, The Emerging Self (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1954), pp. 1-2. 12Henry C. Lindgren, Psychology of Personal and Social Adjustment (New York: American Book Company, 1953), pp. 131-32. 11 . l3 JerSild has challenged educators to assist youth in self-understanding. From an early age a child acquires attitudes about himself and others. The promotion of self-understanding should be planned from nursery school onward. I It is a curious thing that the subject of self-understanding has been so neglected when we consider how eager we are to teach other things. Children learn to bound the states of the Union and they memorize the names and dates of bygone wars; learn about the stars. . . . But the subject of human behavior has been ignored. Much of what we do in education is an evasion rather than a way of facing problems that occur in the lives of children and adolescents. . . . 15 In a study of children's interests JerSild found many older children expressed a desire to learn more about themselves. He proposes, ”. . . that we encourage this desire and try to fulfill it by developing a program to promote wholesome understanding of self and others as a basic feature of the general education of all , 1 children. “ Kubie places education on the ”firing line" of preventive psychiatry. ”The next problem which educators must solve is how to 13Arthur T. Jersild, “Self-Understanding in Childhood and Adolescence, “ American Psychologist, 6 (April, 1951), p. 122. 14Arthur T. Jersild, op. cit., p. 122. 15Arthur T. Jersild and Ruth Lasch, Children's Interests (New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1949). 16Jersild, op. cit., p. 123. 12 lessen the dichotomy between conscious and unconscious levels in human personality. The goal of education should be to prevent, correct and limit this dichotomy in human development. ” Rogers18 believes the person does not react to external stimuli, but rather he reacts to his experience of the stimulating of motivating conditions. A knowledge of the stimulus does not suffice for predicting behavior since one must know how the person is per- ceiving the stimulus. He also states, "The best vantage point for understanding behavior is from the internal frame of reference of 19 the individual himself. ” Changes in the Self-Concept Moustakas20 states that it is within the nature of a human to realize his potential as fully as possible. Two basic strivings, the need to maintain and the need to enhance the self, motivate the individual. Defense will be made against all attempts to change one's self per- ception, but favorable responses will result from situations which 17Lawrence S. Kubie, "The Psychiatrist Considers Curriculum Development, ” Teachers College Record, 50 (January, 1949), p. 246. 18Carl R. Rogers, Client—Centered Therapy (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1950), p. 484. 1 9Ibid., p. 494. 2C,Clark E. Moustakas, The Teacher and the Child (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1956), p. 6. 13 allow one to enhance the self by exploring interests. and developing skills which enable him to have personally satisfying experiences. Raimy states, ”One of the most important characteristics of the self-concept seems to be its exceedingly sensitive yielding to restructuring if the conditions are sufficient. " Reed22 feels that paramount to improvement and application is an understanding and a gaining of the objective attitude. This implies that a person makes all possible attempts to learn about himself. In the process of self-discovery, the individual comes to the intelligent direction of this self and thus the control of those forces which are within the range of human affairs. "He must adjust the elements of the environment to fit his needs, and he must also adjust the self to suit those elements in the environment which at present he cannot alter. " Physical Self-Concept Petersand Farwe1124 have classified our developmental ZlRaimy, op. cit., p. 175. 2'ZCatherine E. Reed, "The Common Principles in Guidance" in New York State Association of Deans and Other Guidance Personnal, The Continuity of Guidance, A Symposium (Scranton, Pa. , International Textbook Co., 1939), p. 7. 23Ibid... p. 23. 24Peters and Farwell, op. cit., p. 47. 14 pattern in life into four broad classifications, one of which is the physical assessment. They related the importance of this evaluation. "Many people do not stop to consider the influence the physical self has on one's emotional attitudes, outlook on life in general, or inter- actions with other people. One‘s general outlook in daily living is influenced by the physical self. " 25 . . . Zachry has stated that with the striking phySiological changes one‘s concept of one's ego correspondingly changes. Zachry . . . 26 aptly puts it, ”The body is symbolic of the self. " The adolescent cannot help but preoccupy herself with comparisons in relation to the prevailing norms of body proportions and growth. 27 . . . Margaret Mead has given diverse and contrasting norms related to masculinity and femininity in different cultures. 28 , , , . Rogers emphaSiZing client-centered guidance, denotes great importance to the self. Much of the content of his interviews is centered around the self. Typical statements he has dealt with are: "I don't worry about my appearance anymore. " "I hate my appearance; 25C. B. Zachry, Emotions and Conduct in Adolescence (New York: Appleton Century, 1940), p. 227. 6 2 Ibid. 27Margaret Mead, The Study of Culture at a Distance (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1953). 28David C. McClelland citing C. Rogers in Personality (New York: William Sloane Associates, 1951), p. 530. 15 I've always tried to compensate for it. " Snygg and Combs emphasize the effect of body condition on the self. The particular figure in vogue or facial beauty is important. They state, "Every ’field' includes more or less of the body conditions as an integral part of the total field. ”29 This particular emphasis stresses the importance of the physical self in all situations. Identity is connected with the appraisal made by oneself as well as others. 30 Therefore, society does play an integral role in our self-evaluation. Values not only occur as a result of direct experience, but they are also taken from others and perceived as if the person had experienced them directly. The effect of mild physical anomities on attitudes is the focus of attention of Harsh and Schrickel, for they state, "The effect of constitution upon self-attitudes is largely a matter of cultural standards. Mild physical anomities produce unfavorable self-attitudes if the individual feels that they unfit him for valued activities. "32‘ They also relate that handicaps; such as, obesity and awkwardness may be 29Donald Snygg and Arthur Combs, op. cit. , p. 99. 30A. L. Strauss, Mirrors and Masks-~The Search for Identity (Glencoe: The Free Press, 1959), p. 9. 31Calvin Hall and Gardner Lindzey, Theories of Personality (New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1957), p. 483. 32Charles Harsh and H. G. Schrickel, Personality Development and Assessment (New York: The Ronald Press Co. , 1959), p. 164. 16 upsetting at a time when a child is sensitive to social acceptance. Education must work in harmony with evolution. There are numerous resources dealing with human needs at various stages of life. There are certain common problems in living. The word ”problem" does not necessarily imply a difficulty. The Greek root from which the word is derived means "something thrown forward. " Common problems in life refer to the variety of adjustments which the majority of individuals face at various stages in living. Several check lists have been developed to explore the problems of youth and children. The Science Research Associates lists have been applied to a large portion of the population. The SRA Junior Inventory35 was administered to elementary children in several parts of the country. The items on the inventory have been grouped under the headings: My Health, Getting Along with Other People, About Me and My School, About Me and My Home. Items checked by a least fifteen per cent of the students that are pertinent to the physical self-concept include: 331bid. 34Margaret E. Bennett, Guidance in Groups (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1955), p. 46. 5Herman H. Remmers and Benjamin Shimberg: Examiner Manual for the SRA Junior Inventory, Form A (Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1951). My Health I get out of breath when I run or play. I get tired of sitting. I am hungry a lot. Sometimes I feel dizzy. Getting Along—with Other People I'd like to learn how to dance. I can't run as fast as the other kids. I need more friends. - About Me and My School I'd like to join a club in school. About Myself I'm not nice-looking. I wish I was good in games. Health conditions worry the younger children more than the older ones. The authors of the inventory feel that children do not . . 36 understand the normal workings of their body. Gessel and Ilg show elementary age girls are concerned 37 about their appearance. ' 38 . The SRA Youth Inventory is concerned Wlth problems of high school youth. The inventory offered students a breakdown of problems in eight categories: My School, Looking Ahead, About 36Remmers and Benjamin Shimberg, op. cit. , p. 2. 37Arnold Gesell and Frances L. Ilg, The Child from Five to Ten (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1946). 8Herman H. Reemers and Robert H. Bauernfeind: Examiner Manual for the SRA Youth Inventory, Form A. , 2d ed. (Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1953). 17 Myself, Getting Along with Others, My Home and Family, Boy Meets Girl, Health, and Things in General. Again, as in the previous study most of the material has direct or indirect implications for physical educators. My School Tension and uneasiness when reciting or speaking in public. Doubt about the values of the things they were studying. Looking Ahead Need for assessment of their own ability. Help in the appraisal of their real interests. Fitness for college. About Myself Need to be "on the go. ” Nervousness. Lack of social ease. Need to discuss personal problems with someone. Getting Alorlg with Others Need to be liked and accepted by peers. Make new friends. Boy Meets Girl Problems relating to marriage. Health Gaining or losing weight. Wholesome diet habits. Good posture. Improvement of figure. Skin problems. 3 Little and Chapman 9 reported a free response study of 4, 957 high school students between thirteen and nineteen. Problems 39Wilson Little and A. L. Chapman, Developmental Guidance in Secondary School (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. , 1953). 18 19 related to health were mentioned 1, 246 times. Girls registered concern in the areas of being over-weight or under-weight, nervousness, proper diet for good health, sufficient sleep, and teeth, eye, ear, nose, and throat trouble. Check lists of the problems of college students show widely different findings. This may be due to variations in sampling. 40 . Katz and Allport used 3, 500 freshmen in Syracuse and asked them to check problems of which they desired assistance. Of the eighteen major problems checked six are closely allied to physical education; participation in athletics, general health, nervous- ness, sex hygiene, campus activities, and problems of personality. 41 Another survey by Wren and Bell of 5, 000 freshmen and transfer students in thirteen colleges or universities asked them to check the most urgent problemin their first quarter of college life. The largest problem was difficulty in budgeting time which showed a response of 58 per cent. 42 . Stone used the Mooney Problem Check List College Form with five hundred seventy—eight students, freshman through senior years, 40Danial Katz and Floyd H. Allport, Student's Attitudes (New York: The Craftsman Press, Inc. , 1931). 41C. G. Wrenn and Reginald Bell, Student Personnel Problems: A Study of New Students and Personnal Services (New York: Rinehart and Company, Inc. , 1942). 2Gordon L. Stone, "Student Problems in a Teachers' College, " Journal of Educational Psychology, 39 (November, 1948), pp. 404-16. 20 at the River Falls State Teachers College in Wisconsin. Eleven categories of problems are given. Health and physical development rank seventh in both rank order of underlined problems and serious problems. Social and recreational activities rank second in order of underlined problems and sixth in rank order of serious problems. 4 4 Other studies 3’ 4'45 indicate the student's desire to keep in good health and physical condition in addition to the desire to be skillful in sports, to get along with and understand other people, to make friends and feel that they belong to a group, and to learn to control themselves and be good sports. Jersild and colleagues gathered compositions from several hundred children from fourth grade through high school on ”What I like about myself, " and "What I don't like about myself. “ Many children think in part of specific physical characteristics including stature, facial features, and posture. 43C. C. Cowell, ”Student Purposes in High School Physical Education, ” Educational Research Bulletin, April 5, 1939. 44C. C. Cowell, A. S. Daniels, H. E. Kenney, ”Purposes in Physical Education as Evaluated by Participants, Physical Education Supervisors and Educational Administrators, “ Research Quarterly, 22 (October, 1951), pp. 286-96. 45Ross L. Mooney, ”Surveying High School Students' Problems by Means of a Problem Check List, " Educational Research Bulletin, 31 (March, 1942), pp. 57-69. 46Jersild, op. cit., p. 123. 21 The group approach, similar to the class situation, is used as an aid to self discovery and self-acceptance. The extent of over-weight persons in our country is alarming. The aspect of using a group approach to weight control has been studied in Boston. The aspect of weight controls appears to be one of America‘s greatest problems of preventive medicine. The importance of weight control to the total health of the community is becoming increasingly clear to the general public. In Boston the group approach to weight control seemed to show benefits such as: (1) Participation in group discussion assists in an understanding and acceptance of some of the general physiological and psychological causes of over eating; (2) Individuals can gain better understanding of some of their own emotional problems which might be related to over-eating; (3) Fears associated with over-eat ing can be diminished through group discussion; (4) Members feel encouraged by the exchange of information related to mutual difficulties and individual accomplishments in weight reduction. Concept of Attitudes The closeness with which self and attitudes are associated 47Marjorie Grant, "The Group Approach for Weight Control, " Group Psychotherapy, 4 (December, 1951), pp. 156-65. 8Marjorie Grant, op. cit., pp. 156-65. 22 . . . 49 . . is exemplified by Mead who theorizes that in the process of self development and social experience, the individual becomes an object to himself by taking the attitudes of others toward himself within an organized social relationship. This view of the self as an object permits the classification of the self as an attitude. Allport states, ”An attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness exerting a directive influence upon the individual's response to all objects and situations with which it is related. " Krech and Crutchfield View attitudes as ". . . an enduring organization of motivational, emotional, perceptual, and cognitive processes with respect to some aspect of the individual's world. " 52 _. . . . Fuson defines an attitude as ”. . . the probability of occurrence of a defined behavior in a defined situation. " 53 , . . . . . Bonner believes an attitude is an impliCit response to act toward or away from an individual or social value. He relates that attitudes are learned. An opinion is a verbal expression of one's attitude . 49George H. Mead, Mind, Self and Society (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1934), pp. 163-63. 50Gordon W. Allport, Personality: A Psychological Inter- pretation (New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc. , 1937), p. 18. 1 5 D. Krech and R. S. Crutchfield, Theory and Problems of Social Psychology (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. , 1948), p. 152. 52'W. M. Fuson, ”Attitudes: A Note on the Concept and Its Research Context, “ American Sociological Review, Dec. , 1942, p. 7. 53Hubert Bonner, Social Psychology (New York: American Book Co., 1953), p. 176. 23 Campbell feels, "An individual's attitude is an enduring syndrome of response consistency with regard to a set of social objects. ” Cowell believes that "one's attitudes determine what one sees, whether one sees clearly or not, and whether one sees things 55 in the right perspective or not. " The general theme of attitudes according to most authorities is the consistency among responses to a specified set of stimuli or social objects. Chang e s in Attitude 56 Cooper and Michiels in a study of attitudes as functions of objective knowledge found that ego (self) involved subjects are less likely to be realistic in appraising their knowledge than those not so involved. Strongly held opinions are little affected by facts. The value of information in attempting to influence attitudes . . 57 . . . has been Viewed by Garrison. He found that college training did not affect attitudes on domestic and world political issues. 54D. T. Campbell, ”The Indirect Assessment of Social Attitudes, Psychological Bulletin, 47 (January, 1950), p. 31. 55 Charles C. Cowell, "Attitude Scales, " in Research Methods in Health, Physical Education and Recreation, ed. Gladys Scott (Washington D. C. : AAHPER, 1959). p. 115. 56Joseph B. Cooper and Lawrence J. Michiels, ” A Study of Attitudes as Functions of Objective Knowledge, " Journal of Social Psychology, 36 (August, 1952), pp. 59-71, 57Karl G. Garrison, ”A Comparative Study of the Attitudes of College Students toward Certain Domestic and World Problems, ” fiurnal of Social Psychology, 34 (February, 1951), pp. 47-54. 24 58 . . . . Gleason in a study of attitudes and information on the Taft-Hartley Law showed that attitudes did not change as a result of information. 59 . . Sells measured interests and attitudes and found the amount of information seemed related to the degree of interest of self-involvement, but unrelated to the direction of attitude, pro or con, toward an object, 60 Egner and Obelsky conducted a study of the effect of stereotyped attitudes on learning. They state that students arriving in college are hardly the ”tabula rasa” attitudinally speaking. Attitudes have been forming continually through experiences in the family, church, neighborhood, and school. Some students have fixed opinions and others are more flexible. The true stereotype is entirely con- vinced of his views and does not hesitate to state them. The authors concluded that changing fixed beliefs is a function of learning and although the stereotype may be a difficult situation they are still amenable to techniques of effective teaching. 58John G. Gleason, "Attitudes vs. Information on the Taft-Hartley Law, " Personnel Psychology, 2 (Autumn, 1949), pp. 293-99. 59Saul B. Sells, ”Measuring Interests and Attitudes, " Review of Educational Research, 26 (June, 1956), pp. 278-81. 60Robert E. Egner and Alvan J. Obelsky, ”Effects of Stereotyped Attitudes on Learning, " Journal of Educational Psychology, 48 (April, 1957), pp. 207—12. 25 1 . . . . Lagey studied attitude changes resulting from taking introductory courses in sociology and anthropology. No relation was found between course content and attitudes toward evolution, toward the Negro, and toward criminals. . 62 . . In another study Winthrop Viewed the conSistency of attitudes as a function of body type. He reported the consistency of a subject‘s attitude was related to somatotype to a significant degree. Low value integrity was found for individuals with a high endomorphic component and relatively high value for individuals with a high ecto- morphic component. For mesomorphs the value was midway suggesting that this component is a balance between two possible extremes of attitude existing. Attitude Studies in Physical Education 63 Self-attitude studies have been reported by Isenberger in the area of physmal education. In 1959 she reported a self-attitude survey made on two hundred seventy-seven women physical education major students and one hundred sixty-seven women physical education 61Joseph Chiozza Lagey, ”Does Teaching Change Students' Attitudes ?” Journal of Educational Research, 50 (December, 1956), pp. 307-311. ZHenry Winthrop, ”The Consistency of Attitude Patterns as a Function of Body Type, ” Journal of Personnel Research,25 (March, 1957), pp. 372-82. 63Wi1ma Isenberger, ”Self-Attitudes of Women Physical Education Major Students and of Women Physical Education Teachers, " The Research Quarterly, 30 (March, 1959), pp. 44-53. 26 teachers, who represented different institutions of higher learning. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between self-attitudes of women physical education major students and those of women teachers of physical education. The individuals responded to the Twenty Statement Test of Self Attitudes, TST, which is based on "Who Am I?“ Isenberger concluded there is a significant difference between the self-attitudes of women physical education major students within a school and between schools. In another study the same author reported a study of self- attitudes of women physical education majors as related to measures 64 of interest and success. Two hundred seventy-seven women physical education majors and one hundred-fifteen women physical education teachers participated in the study. The "Who Am I? test was used as a measure of self—attitudes. Interest was measured by the Strong Vocational Interest Blank... Success was measured by the Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory, the Scott General Motor Ability Test, a teacher trait evaluation sheet, semester grades in physical education theory and skill courses, and total university semester grades. Isenberger concluded that: l. Self-attitudes are not significantly related to interest. 2. The relationship between self-attitudes and success is not significant. 64Wilma Isenberger, ”Self—Attitudes of Women Physical Education Major Students as Related to Measures of Interest and Success," The Research Quarterly, 30 (May, 1959), pp. 167-78. 27 3. Physical education theory grades tend to be positively related to self-attitudes. 4. Grades in physical education skills and self-attitudes of one group are significant. 5. There is a small, but positive relation, between motor 65 ability and self-attitudes. ' Attitudes surveys have been made in physical education for y 66 . . a number of years for in 1940 Baker studied 1, 150 girls and women between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five using the questionnaire technique, based upon the Thurstone method. She studied factors which influenced the participation of girls. Some of the conclusions she reached were: 1. Environmental influence was discernable in participatory habits. 2. Deviations in bodily weight had no apparent influence on partiCipation in physical education. 3. Girls and women have specific habits of activity. These habits are modified as the girls mature. They tend to become less strenuous and more mechanized with the emphasis on the role of the spectator. 65Ibid.. pp. 176-77. 66Mary C. Baker, ”Factors Which May Influence the Participation of Girls and Women 15-25 Years of Age, ” The Research Quarterly, 11 (May, 1940), pp. 126-31. 28 4. Factors which seem to influence this are social and physical in origin. 5. Attitudes concerning participation do not regulate partici- pation so much as they reflect the influence of other causes , 67 which do. .In 1953 Bell and Walters68 made an attitude toward physical activity survey at the University of Michigan on a total of eight hundred fifty-seven women, who were surveyed by means of the questionnaire technique. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the women's program in light of student attitudes. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: (1) Check list concerning information pertinent to the backgrounds of students, (2) Questions based on the objectives of physical education, (3) Wear Attitude Scale, designed to measure attitudes toward physical education as an activity course. Some of the conclusions based on the study were as follows: 1. Freshmen who have had physical education in high school have a higher mean attitude toward physical education as an activity course than Freshmen who have had no physical education in high school, and higher than Seniors who have had physical education in high school. 67Mary C. Baker,lop. cit., pp. 130-31. 68Margaret Bell, C. Etta Walters, and staff, "Attitudes of Women at the University of Michigan toward Physical Education, " The Research Quarterly, 24 (December, 1953), pp. 379-91. 29 2. There seems to be a positive and significant relationship between the following: a. Attitude and the importance of sports and dance as part of their recreation program. b. Attitude and the extent to which they enjoy their physical education classes. 69 70 . . . Moore reported a Similar study in some respects to that conducted by Bell and Walters. Using an interview technique, she surveyed one hundred seventy-nine women at the University of California at Los Angeles. She pointed out that college women feel physical activity has a definite place in their recreational time. 71 . . . . Carr made another study 1nvolv1ng the relationship between success and selected attitudes in high school physical education. Using a questionnaire technique, Carr covered three main areas; social, personal, and activity. She found that factors affecting success in physical education were; motor abilities, attitudes and intelligence. She reasoned that since motor ability and intelligence are more or less inherent qualities teachers should be more aware of students' attitudes. She suggests that if undesirable attitudes are obstacles to learning, they should be removed. égMargaret Bell, C. Etta Walters and staff, op. cit., p. 385. 70Beverly Young Moore, ”The Attitudes of College Women toward Physical Activity as a Means of Recreation, ” The Research Quarterly, 12 (December, 1941), pp. 720-25. 7‘lMartha G. Carr, ”Relation between Success in Physical Education and Selected Attitudes Expressed by High School Freshmen Girls,“ The Research Quarterlj, 16 (October, 1945), pp. 176-91. 30 Kappes72 constructed an attitude inventory and by means of the inventory found a significant relationship between estimated skill in specific activities and general attitude toward physical education. She also found a relationship between estimated skill in specific activities and estimated skill in physical education activities in general. Zimmerman73 viewed the interests and experience of college women in physical education. She reported that the students had participated previously in team sports whereas their interests were in activities such as tennis, swimming, bowling and golf. In another study of interests and needs Broer and Holland reported the principal objectives which 1, 155 freshman and sophomore women at the University of Washington claimed for their physical education experiences are ”to develop skills in various sports, " "to learn activities that can be continued outside of school, " ”to have fun, ” and "to keep in good health and physical condition. " The chief reason advanced by the students for not liking a physical education class was lack of success. These authors stated that spectator interest in football 7Z‘Eveline E. Kappes, "Inventory To Determine Attitudes of College Women toward Physical Education and Student Services of the Physical Education Department, " The Research Quarterly, 25 (December, 1954), pp. 429-38. 73Helen M. Zimmerman, "Physical Education Experiences and Interests of College Women; " The Research Quarterly, 25 (March, 1954), pp. 109-18. 74 Marion B. Broer and Dolly Holland, ”Physical Education Interests and Needs of University of Washington Women in Service Classes,” ’The Research Quarterly 25 (December, 1954), pp. 387-92. 31 and basketball was sufficient to warrant consideration of adding lectures on these sports as an addition to the physical education program. Motivation and Concept of Self and Attitudes ”No problems are more fascinating than those of human motivation, and none are more in need of wise solution, ” states a 75 a Hilgard. He also believes the awareness of the self organizes many of our attitudes.~ 76 _ . , Duvall believes persons act in accordance With self interests, which does not necessarily mean self welfare. If the health program is contrary to self interests there Will be just facts and not behavior. Fundamentally, the development of self interests is usually derived from basic needs. 77 . . . Peak feels attitudes and motivation are very closely related and highly interdependent. 78 Hilgard believes the organization of motives and attitudes 75Ernest R. Hilgard, ”Human Motives and the Concept of Self, ” American Psychologist, 4 (September, 1949), p. 374. 76Sylvanus M. Duvall, ”New Light on Human Nature and What It Means for Women's Physical Education-~Facts and Fiction on Human Behavior, ” Keynote Address Midwest Association for Physical Education of College Women, George Williams College Camp, Williams Bay, Wisconsin, May 13, 1960. 77 . .. . . Helen Peak, “Attitude and Motivation, ” Psychological Abstracts, 30 (February, 1956), p, 494. 78Hi1gard, op. £_it., p. 378. 32 that are central to the self remain as a person gets older. Reactions to present situations will be coherent with reactions to past situations. 79 . . James states that neither threats nor pleadings can move a man unless they touch the self. Diplomats and monarchs who wish to influence find out their victims' strongest principle of self- regard and make that the fulcrum of all appeals. The importance of providing opportunities for diversified interests in the physical education program is supported by Patrick who found that children who are encouraged to develop a hobby in childhood will in all probability retain an interest in hobbies as an . . , , 81 adult. This is further confirmed by Nestrick who found that by and large men now engaging in leisure time constructive activities engaged in these activities during their youth. Summary There are many theories on the development of personality and factors such as attitudes and concept of self, yet there was agreement among authorities that the self has a significant role in one's 79William James, "Man's Hierarchy of Selves, " Reflexes to Intelligence, Beck and Molish (eds. ) (Glencoe: Free Press), 1959. p. 42. 80C. Patrick, ”Relationship of Childhood and Adult Leisure Activities,” Journal of Social Psychology, 21 (February, 1945), pp. 65-79. l 8" W. V. Nestrick, Constructional Activities of Adult Males (New York Teachers College, Columbia University, 1939). 33 behavior. The problem of determining one's self concept and one's attitude toward a given phenomena has gained great attention in recent years due to the significant implications these two areas have in how persons react to their environment. The emphasis placed on attitudes and self concept has resulted in a need for studies in these areas. The relationship between attitudes and concept of self has been found to be important to human nature. The literature has shown that attitudes and the concept of self are processes which are formulated throughout life. Therefore, the value of research in these areas is important, for, in order to alter one's thinking it appears that more than the surface must be studied. Practical ways need to be found to remove contradictions in these areas and to build new values to supplement the present ideas concerning one's physical self and attitudes toward physical activity in one's culture. 34 CHAPTER III DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY The Method of Investigation-— Questionnaire Technique Problems of selfeconcept and attitudes involve large numbers of people. Therefore, many methods used in other areas of scientific research would be impractical. The questionnaire method has been the most practical way to reach a large number of persons with a minimum of time and finances. Awareness of these facts made it desirable for this study to be conducted by means of the questionnaire technique. Five areas were chosen from which pertinent data would be obtained: (1) Attitudes, (2) Physical recreation activities, (3) Physical self-concept, (4) Environmental background, and (5) Student evaluation of the Foundations of Physical Education Course. Wear,2 usmg the Likert technique, developed an instrument for evaluation attitudes toward physical education as an activity course. The scales‘include items dealing with all desirable categories of physical education such as physical, social, and emotional benefits. The questionnaire consists of forty items, twenty-one stated positively See Appendix A for complete questionnaires. Wear, loc. cit. 35 and nineteen negatively. The student indicates her degree of agree- ment or disagreement with a certain item by checking beneath the word which best expresses her feeling about the item. The answers are worked in the following manner: "strongly for, " "for, but not strongly, “ “neutral, ” "against, but not strongly, " and ”strongly against.” The student is asked to consider physical education only from the standpoint of its place as an activity course taught during a regular class period. The directions state that this is not a test, but is simply a survey to determine how people feel about physical education. The inventory also relates that there is no concern for connecting any person with any paper. Wear‘s Attitude Inventory was originally designed to appraise attitudes of men toward physical education, but it has been found to be a successful device for measuring attitudes of university women toward physical education. Questionnaires for the remaining four areas were designed for this particular study. All of these questionnaires used a five point scale similar to the Likert-type scale to appraise the individual's 4 . . . response. Adjectives were used to communicate qualities about self. 3Bell, Walters, and staff, loc. cit. 4Bert F. Green, "Attitude Measurements, ” in Handbook of Social Psychology, ed. Gardner Lindzey (Cambridge: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. , Inc. , 1954), p. 351. 5Theodore Sarbin, ”Role Theory, " in Handbook of Social Psychology, Vol. 1, ed. Gardner Lindzey (Cambridge: Addison—Wesley Publishing Co., Inc., 1954), p. 244. 36 The Physical Recreation Questionnaire consisted of items dealing with the importance of physical recreational activity, degree of skill in physical recreational activity, time spent in these activities in season, and spectator appraisal of dance and sport events. The subject checked her answers on a five point scale of the following headings: “very much, " "quite a bit, " "some, " ”a little, ” and "not at all. ” The Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire was concerned with items relating to an evaluation of the physical self. Two general overall attitudes questions were asked dealing with physical education and physical recreational activities. The subject indicated her degree of agreement or disagreement for these two items on a five point scale with the following headings: "strongly for, " "for, but not strongly, ” ”neutral, ” ”against, but not strongly, ” and "strongly against. ” The physical self-concept. was based on a five point scale. Each subject checked one of the following headings for each of four questions: ”very good, " "good, " ”average, " ”low, " and ”very low. ” The physical education background of each subject was determined through a questionnaire dealing with state residence, size of high school, years of physical education required in high school, and locality of home. Reasons for participating or not participating in physical recreational activities were obtained for the subjects and her parents by means of a check list which the subject completed. 37 The Evaluation of the Foundations of Physical Education Course was obtained through a questionnaire of five items. One item was concerned with general overall reaction to the course while four items concerned with specific aspects of the course; such as, amount of physical activity in the course, guidance in planning future physical education courses, physical change due to the activity or knowledge in the course, and application of the materials presented to daily living. Selection of Subjects Two hundred freshman women enrolled in the Foundations of Physical Education Course fall term, 1959, were randomly selected from the 1, 818 students taking the course fall term. The class lists were obtained after the fall registration. Every one hundredth name was omitted and then every ninth name was selected as part of the total sample. In this way there were subjects from every section of the Foundations Course. All staff members involved in teaching even one section of the Foundations Course had some students who served as subjects. Administration of the Questionnaires Each subject was given the Wear Attitude Inventory, Physical Recreation Questionnaire, and Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire during the first week of the Foundations Course fall term, 1959. 38 A re-test of the Physical Recreation Questionnaire and the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire was given during the second week to fifty of the two hundred students. The coefficient of reliability was . 96 and . 92 respectively. The self ratings have been treated at face value as valid reflections of true behavior. The reliability and validity of the Wear Attitude Inventory as established for women has been used. 7 The reliability for women students was . 99. During the final week of the Foundations Course the Wear Attitude Inventory, Physical Recreation Questionnaire, Physical Self Concept Questionnaire, and Environmental Background Questionnaire were administered as a re—test. The Evaluation Questionnaire was given during the fourth week of the following term, winter term, 1960, to the students. In all questionnaires the name was omitted, but a small penciled number was placed in the right corner of each questionnaire. Statistical Methods Employed The major portion of this study was concerned with the relationship between certain factors. Since all of the answers in the questionnaires gave only categorical information the Chi Square (x2) 61bid., p. 398. 7Bell and Walters, op. cit., pp. 379-91. 39 statistical technique was employed. The statistical formula used to determine Chi Square is shown below: 2 to n02 -e X : 2 n1_] .. ij eij The complete Chi Square (x2) Tables may be found in Appendix B for the reader's inspection. The test of significance of difference between means was used to analyze the change in self-concept, change in attitudes toward physical education as an activity course, and general attitude toward participation in physical recreation activities from the onset of the Foundations Course to the closure of the course. The statistical 10 formula used to compute the difference between means is shown below; Percentages were used to determine the students' physical self-concept, skill level in sports and dance, and general attitude toward 8John C. Freund and Frank J. Williams, Modern Business Statistics (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall Inc. , 1958), p. 248. 95 es Appendix B. 1 0Freund and Williams, op. cit., p. 239. 40 physical education and participation in physical recreation. Reasons for participating or not participating in physical recreational activities by the students and her parents were compiled by means of percentages. 41 CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF DATA The purposes of this study were: 1. To determine the students' present concept of physical self, existing attitudes toward physical activity, and selected environmental and physical recreational back- ground factors. 2. To determine if favorable or unfavorable evaluation of the course is related to concept of physical self, attitudes toward physical activity, and selected environmental and physical recreational background. 3. To determine if changes occur in concept of physical self, attitudes toward physical education and physical recreation as measured in this study. Concepts of Students at Onset of Foundations Course Physical self. The physical self is presented in three ways: (1) Physical condition, (2) Figure, and (3) Posture. On the basis of students' responses to items C, D, and E of the physical self-concept questionnaire some concept of the students’ physical self at the beginning of the Foundations Course was determined. These findings are presented in Figure 1, page 42 . Most of the students consider themselves "very 42 $58 mcoioocnoa of do 2.563.... 3 $20 .0 3:: 33529.... mo :3 3825a do 33:00 _ 830E E04 0000 >mm> >>O|_ 04mm>< DOOO >mm> SH! uJ \\\\\\\\‘ \\\\k\\\\\\ 8 \\ \\ \ T\ .m§\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\§&X\\\\\ \\ “ .\ \_;\,\ ,\\I \\\ \‘ \ 823a eoeseoo _oos>ed 339... - IO_ ION 10m 10¢ row IUSDJSd 43 good" and "good" than ”low” and "very low. " Figure has the greatest (25 per cent) of ”low" and very low" while posture has the smallest (15 per cent) of "low" and "very low. ” This seems plausible as the current trend toward watching one's weight has promoted a strong emphasis on this particular area of the physical self. ”The person is the best source of information about himself. "1 "A person can think about himself just as he thinks about other things. "2 Skill level. On the basis of the students' responses to item F of the physical self-concept questionnaire some idea of the general skill in physical education was determined. Item 4 and 5 of the physical recreation questionnaire has given some idea of the students' skill level in swimming and dancing. These findings are presented in Figure 2 on page 44. More students were above average than below average in all areas. However, 21 per cent rated their general skill below average, 17 per cent rated their skill in dancing below average, and 27 per cent rated their skill in swimming below average. Attitudes toward physical education and participation in physical recreation. On the bases of the students' responses to items A and B of the physical self-concept questionnaire the general 1Carl C. Rogers, Client-Centered Therapy (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1951), p, 479. 2Ibid.. p. 494. 44 338 22.838 of no 35:0 3 £595 3 no.9 39:83:... mo 22,2 :35 do 38:00 N 3305 moqmm>< mo< 304mm m0< m>9m< “WWR 9:88 E Em- oEEEEm E :Em eoeooaom Booed s Em seeoo \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 10m [Om ”DIS IO Named 45 attitude toward physical education classes, as measured by a single statement, and the attitude toward participation in physical recreation, as measured by a single statement was determined. The findings are presented in Figure 3 on page 46. Proportionally, the number "strongly for" physical education was found to be about the same number as "strongly for" physical recreation (57 per cent and 55 per cent respectively). Similar findings were found for those "for, ” "neutral, " ”against, " and “strongly against. " Analysis of Students' Evaluations Selected background factors. Tables 1 through 5, pages 47-51, show the relationship of selected background factors to overall evaluation of the Foundations Course based on rating groups; i. e. , very favorable, indifferent, unfavorable, and very unfavorable. Due to the small number in the “unfavorable” and ”very unfavorable” groups these two components have been combined for statistical purposes. The probability level of five per cent (P = . 05), was selected at the start of the study as the level necessary for statistical significance. Data in Tables 1 through 5 indicate that there was no significant relationship between overall evaluation of the Foundations Course and the following background factors: 1. Michigan residence and non-residence. 2. Size of high school. 46 $58 30:09.52 of so ammco of no cozombm. Bambi oco 8:83» 6292a 9032 263:3 m 939.... emzaoq iozomem mo... 50285 5233 .2532 Szdod Sozomem o x..\ \\.\x \\ .\\\\_ 1|- \ a \ \ Q. Km V .e K & ION \ x x . \ Mm \ \ w m 10m meg. \ e \ Tov e s cozoosum Board I X 10m cozomeomm 623:5 \ KR row 46 $58 328952 of ac $20 or: no 85858 62min uco 8:833 622%. 9032 32.24 m mung... ._.mz_mm> G. \\x I “\m. \\ 2w .1 o \ \\\.l C. Y \ I\& .\.\\x 4W“ A \\ a. x x, \_ \x x \\ “x. A Y\\ \\\U \...,.a \\ \x as r \ x. x . .\ N \..m .. fiIO d fife 2.... m \H\ \ .\ MW .\. . . . x \. 10m mUCOO H\\; 70.? \ toam I [On 84 Figure 7, page 85, shows the students' subjective ratings of the extent of strenuous exertion in daily living. Eleven per cent of the students indicated that their daily living required ”very much" strenuous exertion. Thirty-three per cent indicated ”quite a bit” and 43 per cent stated, ”some. " This seems to indicate that college students are aware of the fact that even modern daily college living does not require a great amount of strenuous physical exertion for the typical college student. Relationship of skill to attitude inventory. The relationship of the skill level as obtained by Van Duzer,19 i. e. , high, medium, and low to the Wear Attitude Inventory is shown in Table 25, page 86. The level of significance is not sufficient for this study (P 2 . 07). It would seem to indicate, however, that there is a tendency for students with higher degrees of skill to have a favorable attitude toward physical education as an activity course. Relationship of weight to figure ratig. The relationship of weight to figure rating is shown in Table 26, page 87. The students' weight ratings were determined on a three point self-rating scale; 1. e. , zero to five pounds over or under-high, six to nine pounds over or under-medium, and ten pounds or more over or under-low. The students' concept of figure was determined on a five point self-rating scale; 1. e., very good, good, average, low, and very low). 19Van Duzer, loc. cit. 85 3:23: B :29 33:333.. mo 05>: >226 :_ 53:60 .3523 mzoscozm Co acoaxm .2. 059.... 444 MJPCJ .Cm d 1035 ._.< ._.OZ < 920m H.230 >mm> TON lOm Tov [Om lUBOJad 86 TABLE 25. ——Relationship of Wear Attitude Inventory to three point skill rating - ' 2 Skin 5 4 3 2 1 Total xi rating n n n n n High 22 16 17 5 l 61 4. 97 Medium 24 ll 15 9 11 70 6. 64 Low 15 13 15 9 3 55 1. 89 TOTAL 61 40 47 23 15 186 2 . )0 75 l 84 . 65 l 59 8 66 13 49 D.F.280 x2=13.49-13.5o P=.05-.10 87 TABLE 26. --Relationship of weight to figure rating as subjectively rated by students Pounds over Very good A e a e Low and T tal ,2 or under and good V r g verylow O XI n n n 0-5 75 29 2 106 20. 06 6—9 16 20 5 41 2. 00 10 and over 5 29 11 45 30. 79 TOTAL 96 78 18 192 ,2 )(j 23 73 11 54 17 58 52 85 2 D.F.24 x 252.85 P=.001 88 Data in Table 26 show that the relationship between weight and figure rating was highly significant (P 2 . 001). These results would seem to indicate that body weight, plus or minus, has a very significant role in the students' concept of figure. It would have been interesting to compare amount of overweight and underweight to figure rating. Relationship of weight-rating to attitude toward physical education. Data in Table 27, page 89, indicate that there was no significant relationship between weight-rating and the Wear Attitude Inventory. No significant relationship was found between figure as rated at the end of the Foundations Course and evaluation of the course, Table 19, page 70. 89 TABLE 27. --Relationship of weight rating as objectively determined to Wear Attitude Inventory Very good 2 .2 and good 5 4 3 and 1 Tom X1 n n n n Very good 42 25 22 17 106 2. 91 and good Average 12 7 11 ll 41 1. 70 Low and very low 10 10 15 10 45 3. 05 TOTAL 64 42 48 38 192 2 7. 66 )0 3 12 57 2 O7 1 91 7. 65 o 2 D.F.=6 x :7.oo-7.o7 P2.20-.3O 90 CHAPTER V SU MMARY, CONC LUS IONS , AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary This was a preliminary study concerned primarily with student evaluation of the Foundations of Physical Education Course required of all entering freshman women at Michigan State University. The purpose of this study was threefold: 1. To determine the students' present concept of physical self, existing attitudes toward physical activity, and selected environmental and physical recreational back- ground factors. 2. To determine if favorable or unfavorable evaluation of the course is related to concept of physical self, attitudes toward physical activity, and selected environmental and physical recreational background. 3. To determine if changes occur in concept of physical self and attitudes toward physical education and physical recreation as measured in this study. Conclusions l. A greater percentage of students rated their general skill level, concept of physical self, and specific skill level in 91 sports, swimming, and dance above average than below average. A greater percentage of students rated their general attitude toward physical education as an activity class and attitude toward participation in physical recreation favorable or above. No significant relationship was found between favorable and unfavorable acceptance of the Foundations Course and five selected background factors; i. e. , Michigan residence and non-residence, size of high school, required physical education program in the high school, actual number of years of participation in physical education in high school, and type of locality of home town. A significant relationship was found between favorable and unfavorable acceptance of the Foundations Course and the students' evaluations of the various phases; i. e. , amount of physical activity in the course, influence in planning future course in physical education, experience of physical change due to activity and knowledge gained in the Foundations Course, and application of material to daily living. No significant relationship was found between favorable and unfavorable acceptance of the Foundations Course and 10. ll. 12. 92 physical recreation factors; i. e. , importance of physical recreation as part of students' total recreation program, skill in recreational activities, leisure time spent in recreational activities. No significant relationship was found between favorable and unfavorable acceptance of the Foundations Course and aspects related to the physical self; i. e. , physical condition, figure, posture, and skill level. No significant change was found in attitude toward physical education as measured by one general attitude statement and the Wear Attitude Inventory. No significant change was found in attitude toward participating in physical recreational activities. A significant change was found in concept of physical self; i. e. , physical condition, figure, and posture. The main reasons for participating in physical recreation as given by the students in this study were: "enjoy sports, ” ”better figure, ” "better health, ” and ”friends participate. ” The main reasons for parents participating in physical recreation as stated by the students in this study were: "relaxation” and ”enjoy sports. ” The main reasons for parents not participating in physical recreation as stated by the students in this study were: ”lack of time” and ”lack of interest. ” 93 Recommendations for Further Study On the bases of the results of the study, the following recommendations seem justifiable: 1. As the study indicated, research is needed to determine the causes of negative and positive attitudes toward physical education. A follow-up study should be made of this study to determine the consistency or change in students' responses during university years and for a period of years (5 and 10), after graduation. A random sample of the students enrolled in physical education should be selected and from this sample two groups, control and experimental, should be equated and used to investigate the influence of Foundations of Physical Education. A longitudinal study should be made of the growing child's physical perception of himself and his relation to physical education. This should be done in various localities. A valid and reliable adjective check list should be designed to measure students' actual physical self and idealized physical self. Results may be helpful in determining the well—adjusted and the poorly-adjusted students and in aiding guidance services in physical education in recommending physical activities. 94 BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Allport, G. W. Personality: A Psychological Interpretation. New York: Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 1939. 588 pp. Beck, Samuel and Herman Molish. Reflexes to Intelligence. Glencoe: Glencoe: Free Press, 1959. 669 pp. Bennett, Margaret. Guidance in Groups. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1955. 411pp. Bonner, Hubert. Social Psychology. New York: American Book Company, Inc., 1948. 433 pp. Cowell, Charles and Hilda Schwehn. Modern Principles and Methods in High School Physical Education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc. , 1958. 327 pp. Fisher, Ronald A. and Frank Yates. Statistical Tables for Biological, Agricultural and Medical Research. Neinork: Hafner Publishing Company, 1957. 138 pp. Freund, John C. and Frank J. Williams. Modern Business Statistics. - Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1958. 539 pp. Fromm, Erick. Man for Himself. New York: Rinehart Company, 1947. 254 pp. Gessell, Arnold and Frances Ilg. The Child from Five to Ten. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1946. 475 pp. Hall, Calvin and Gardner Lindzey. Theories of Personality. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. , 1957. 572 pp. Harsh, Charles and H. G. Schrickel. Personality Development and .Assessment. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1959. Hopkins, Thomas L. The Emerging Self. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1954. 366 pp. 95 Jersild, Arthur T. and Ruth Tasch. Children's Interests. New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1949. 173 pp. Katz, Daniel and F. H. Allport. Students' Attitudes. New York: The Craftsmen Press, Inc., 1931. 408 pp. Kluckhohn, Clyde and Henry A. Murray (ed.). Personality, Nature, Society and Culture. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1950. 561 pp. Krech, D. and R. Crutchfield. Theory and Problems of Social Psychology. New York: McGraw—Hill Book Company, 1948. 639 pp. Lindgren, Henry C. , Psychology of Personal and Social Adjustment. New York: American Book Company, 1953. 534 pp. Lindzey, Gardner (ed. ). A Handbook of Social Psychology, Vol. 1. Cambridge: Addison Wesley Publishing Co. , Inc. , 1954. 588 pp. Little, Wilson and A. Chapman. Developmental Guidance in Secondary Schools. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1953. 324 pp. McClelland, David C. Personality. New York: William Sloane Associates, 1951. 654 pp. Mead, George. Mind, Self and Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1934. 401 pp. Mead, Margaret. The Study of Culture at a Distance. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1953. 480 pp. Moustakas, Clark E. The Teacher and the Child. New York: McGraw— Hill Book Company, Inc. , 1956. 265 pp. Murchison, C. (ed. ). A Handbook of Social Psychology. Worcester: Clark University Press. 1195 pp. Murphy, Gardner. Human Potentialities. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1958. 333 pp. Nestrich, H. U. Constructional Activities of Adult Males. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University, 1939. 128 pp. 96 Peters, Herman and Gail Farwell. Guidance: A Developmental Approach. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company, 1959. 507 pp. Reed, Catherine E. ”The Common Principles in Guidance in New York State Association of Deans and Other Guidance Personnal, " The Continuity of Guidance, A Symposium. Scranton: International Textbook Co. , 1939. 263 pp. Rogers, Carl R. Client Centered Therapy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1951. 561 pp. Scott, Gladys M. (ed. ). Research Methods in Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Washington, D. C. , AAHPER, 1959. 536 pp. Sherif, M. and H. Cantril. The Psychology of Ego Involvement. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. , 1947. 525 pp. Snygg, Donald and Arthur W. Combs. Individual Behavior. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1949. 386 pp. Strauss, A. L. Mirrors and Masks-~The Search for Identig. Glencoe: The Free Press, 1959. 186 pp. Wrenn, Gilbert C. Student Personnel Work in College. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1951. 589 pp. Wrenn, Gilbert C. and Reginald Bell. Student Personnel Problems: A Study of New Students and Personnel Services. New York. Rinehart and Company, Inc. , 1942. 368 pp. Zachry, C. B. Emotions and Conduct in Adolescence. New York: Appleton Century, 1940. 563 pp. Books: Parts of Series Jung, C. G. Two Essays on Analytical Psychology. Vol. VII of Collected Works. Bollinten Series. 20 Vols. , New York: Yale University Press. 97 Publications Remmers, Herman H. and Benjamin Shinberg. Examiner Manual for the SRA Youth Inventory, Form A. , 2d ed. , Science Research Associates, Chicago, 1953. Remmers, Herman H. and Robert H. Bauernfeind. Examiner Manual for the SRA Junior Inventory, Form A, Science Research Associates, Chicago, 1951. Periodicals Baker, Mary C. Factors Which May Influence the Participation of Girls 15-25 Years of Age, ” The Research Quarterly, 11 (May, 1940), 126-31. Bell, Margaret and C. Etta Walters and staff. "Attitudes of Women at the University of Michigan toward Physical Education, " The Research Quarterly, 24 (December, 1953), 379-91. Broer, Marion and Dolly Holland. "Physical Education Needs and Interests of University of Washington Women in Service Classes, ” The Research Quarterly, 25 (December, 1954), 387-92. Campbell, D. T. ”The Indirect Assessment of Social Attitudes, " Psychological Bulletin, 47 (January, 1950), 15-38. Carr, Martha G. "Relation between Success in Physical Education and Selected Attitudes Expressed by High School Fresh- men Girls, " The Research Quarterly, 16 (October, 1945), 176-91. Cooper, Joseph B. and Laurence J. Michiels. "A Study of Attitudes as Functions of Objective Knowledge, ” Journal of Social Psychology, 36 (August, 1952), 59-71. Costin, Frank. The Effects of an Introductory Psychology Course on Self Insight, "' Journal of Educational Psychology, 50 (January, 1959), 83—87. C. C. Cowen. ”Student Purposes in High School Physical Education, ” Educational Research Bulletin, April 5, 1939. 98 C. C. Cowell, A. S. Daniels, H. E. Kenney. ”Purposes in Physical Education as Evaluated by Participants, Physical Education Supervisors, and Educational Administrators, " Research Quarterly. Duel, Henry. ”Effects of Self Evaluation on Student Achievement, “ Journal of Educational Psychology, 49 (August, 1958), 197-99. Egner, Robert and Alvan Obelsky. "Effects of Stereotyped Attitudes on Learning, ” Journal of Educational Psychology, 48 (April, 1957), 207-12. Fuson, W. M. "Attitudes: A Note on the Concept and Its Research Context, ” American Sociological Review, 7 (December, 1942), 856—57. Garrison, Karl G. ”A Comparative Study of the Attitudes of College Students toward Certain Domestic and World Problems, " Journal of Social Psycholqu, 34 (February, 1951), 47-54. Gleason, John G. ”Attitudes vs. Information on the Taft-Hartley Law, Personnel Psychology, 2 (Autumn, 1949), 293-99. Grant, Marjorie. ”The Group Approach for Weight Control, ” Group Psychotherapy, 4 (December, 1951), 156-65. Hilgard, Ernest R. ”Human Motives and the Concept of Self, " American Psychologist, 4 (September, 1949), 374-82. Isenberger, Wilma. "Self Attitudes of Women Physical Education Major Students and of Women Physical Education Teachers, ” The Research Quarterly, 30 (March, 1959). 44-53. Isenberger, Wilma. “Self Attitudes of Women Physical Education Major Students in Relation to Measures of Interest and Success, " The Research Quarterly, 30 (May, 1959), 167—78. Jersild, Arthur T. ”Self-Understanding in Childhood and Adolescence, " American Psychologist, 6 (April, 1951), 122-26. Kappes, Eveline E. "Inventory To Determine Attitudes of College Women toward Physical Education and Student Services of the Physical Education Department, The Research Quarterly, 25 (December, 1954), 429-38. 99 Kubie, Lawrence S. ”The Psychiatrist Considers Curriculum Development, " Teachers College Record, 50 (January, 1959), 241-46. Lagey, Joseph C. “Does Teaching Change Students' Attitudes ?" Journal of Educational Research, 50 (December, 1956), 307-11. McCloy, C. H. "Projects for Future Study by the Society for Directors of Physical Education in Colleges, ” The Research Quarterly, 2 (March, 1931), 183-89. Moore, Beverly. "The Attitudes of College Women toward Physical Activity as a Means of Recreation, ” The Research Quarterly, 12 (December, 1941), 720—25. Mooney, Ross L. ”Surveying High School Students' Problems by Means of Problem Check List, " Educational Research Bulletin, 21 (March, 1942), 57-69. Patrick, C. ”Relationship of Childhood and Adult Leisure Activities, ” Journal of Social Psychology, 21 (February, 1945), 65-79. Peak, Helen. ”Attitudes and Motivation, " Psychological Abstracts, 30 (February, 1956), 43. Rogers, Carl R. ”The Client Sees Himself, “ University of Chicago Magazine, 45 (January, 1953), 10-13. Stone, Gordon. “Student Problems in a Teachers College, ” Journal of Educational Psychology, 39 (November, 1948), 404-16. Sells, Saul B. "Measuring Interests and Attitudes, " Review of Educational Research, 26 (June, 1956), 278-81. Wear, Carlos L. ”The Evaluation of Attitude toward Physical Education as an Activity Course, ” The Research Quarterly, 22 (March, 1951), 114-126. Winthrop, Henry. ”The Consistency of Attitude Patterns as a Function of Body Type, ” Journal of Personnel Research, 25 (March, 1957L 372-82. 100 Unpublished Materials Duvall, Sylvanus. ”New Light on Human Nature and What It Means for Women's Physical Education-—Facts and Fiction on Human Behavior, " Keynote Address Midwest Association for Physical Education of College Women, May 13, 1960. ”The Self-Concept as a Factor in Counseling and Raimy, Victor C. ” Unpublished Doctor's thesis, Personality Organization. Ohio State University, 1943. Van Duzer, Jan Carolyn. “A Study To Determine the Influence of Background Factors upon Physical Performance and Evaluation Measured Used in the Foundations of Physical Education Course. " Unpublished Master's thesis, Michigan State University, 1960. Pl'ysical Education Attitude Inventory e t .- P ease ad care 3 Below you will find some statements about physical education. We would like to know how you feel about each statement. You are asked to consider physical education £23.11 from the standpoint of its place as an activity course taught during a regular class period. No reference is intended in any statement to interscholastic or intramural activities. People differ widely in the way they feel about each statement. There are no right or wrong answers. You have been provided with a separate answer sheet for recording your reaction to each statement. (a) Read each statement-carefully. (b) go to the answer sheet, and (c) opposite the number of the statement place an "x" in the square which is under the word (or words) which best expresses your feeling about the statement. After reading a statement you will know at once, in most cases. whether you ear, ea or disagree with the statement. If you agreg’, then decide whether to place an “it" under "agree“ or "strongly agree." If you M, then decide whether to place the "it" under "disagree" or "strongly disagree." In case you are undecided (or neutral) concerning your feeling about the statement, then place an ”it" under “undecided". Try to avoid placing an "it" under "undecided" in very marw instances. Wherever possible, let your own personal experience determine your answer. Work rapidly, do not spend much time on ary statement. This is not a test, but is simply a survey to determine how peeple feel about physical education. Your answers will in no way affect your grade in amr course. In fact, we are not interested in connecting any person with any paper - so please answer each statement as you actually feel about it. e e a r Statements Part I x 1. If for any reason a few subjects have to be dropped from the school program, plvsical education should be one of the subjects dropped. 2. Associations in physical education activities give peeple a better under- standing of each other. 3. Ptysical education activities provide no opportunities for learning to control the emotions. h. Engaging in vigorous ptysical activity gets one interested in practicing good health habits. 5. Ptvsical education is one of the more important subjects in helping to establish and maintain desirable social standards. 6. The time spent in getting ready for and engaging in a plvsical-education class could be more profitably spent in other ways. 7. Vigorous plwsical activity works off harmful emotional tensions. K 8. A person's body usually has all the strength it needs without participation in physical education activities. 9 9. I would take ptysical education only if it were required. 10. Participation in ptvsical education activities tends to make one a more socially desirable person. 11. Y12. 13. 14. X15. 16. V 170 18. a! 19. X 200 21. ‘K 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 2?. 3<28. 29. Y 30. 31. ’2- Participation in physical education makes no contribution to the development of poise. Physical education in schools does not receive the emphasis that it should. Because physical skills loom.large in importance in youth it is essential that a person be helped to acquire and improve such skills. Physical education classes are poor in Opportunities for worthwhile social experiences. Calisthenics taken regularly are good for one's general health. A person would be better off emotionally if he did not participate in physical education.. Skill in active games or sports is not necessary for leading the fullest kind of life. It is possible to make physical education a valuable subject by proper selection of activities. Physical education does more harm physically than it does good. Developing a physical skill brings mental relaxation and relief. Associating with others in some physical education activity is fun. Physical education classes provide nothing which will be of'value outside of the class. Physical education classes provide situations for the formation of attitudes which will make one a better citizen. There should not be over two one-hour periods per week devoted to physical education in schools. Physical education situations are among the poorest for'making friends. Belonging to a group, fer which opportunity is provided in teamactivitiesD is a desirable experience for a person. There is not enough value coming from physical education to justify the time consumed. Physical education is an.important subject in helping a person gain and maintain all-round good health. Physical education skills make worthwhile contributions to the enrichment of living. No definite beneficial results come from participation in physical education activities. People get all the physical exercise they need in just taking care of their daily‘work. .6.- X 32. Engaging in group ptvsical education activities is desirable for prOper personality development. y33. All who are pl'wsically able will profit from an hour of physical education each day. 34. Physical education activities tend to upset a person emotionally. y 35. Physical education makes a valuable contribution toward building up an adequate reserve of strength and endurance for everyday living. 36. For its contributions to mental and emotional well-being physical education should be included in the program of every school. 37. thsical education tears down sociability by encouraging people to attempt to surpass each other in mary of the activities. 38. I would advise anyone who is physically able to take ptwsical education. . X39. Participation in pm'sical education activities makes for a more wholesome out-look on life. 7 ’40. As far as improving pmrsical health is concerned a physical education class is a waste of time. '7. atmngly agree tTeu'tral or " "disagree Strongly flue updecided (new 3. strongly agree neutral or disagree strungly agree undecided ' disagree 9. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly agree undecided dim 10 . strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly gree undecided disggge ll. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly fires undecided disagree 12. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly fires undecided dim O o u A I . v . g ‘ 7' .—_._ . . n v .I 1 -' . a a _. ' I . ’ l a . . \ — _"-- - . v . . ' a . . . Answer Sheet Part I. 1. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _egree undecided disaggee_ 2. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly iagree undecided disegree 3. Strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _eg§ee undecided disaggee h. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _egree undecided disegeee 5. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _eg§ee undecided disegree 6. strongly' agree neutral or disagree strongly _eg§ee undecided disggree 7. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _egree undecided disegeee 3. strongly agree neutral or disagree strnngly egree undecided, ' disagree 9. strongly' agree neutral or disagree strongly _egree undecided disegree 10 . strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _egree undecided disagree ll. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _eggee undecided dieggree 12. strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _egree undecided disggree Physical Education Attitude Inventory {art I - continued 13. 1h. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19 . 22 . 23. 2h. 25. 26. strongly agree nettral or disagree strongly iree undecided “aegis: strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly .33” undecided disagree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly agree undecided disegree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly gree undecided disagree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly egree undecided dieeggee strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly egree undecided disagree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly egree undecided disegree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly gree undecided disagree strongly agree neutral or disagree 813101181? egree undecided - disagree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly iree undecided disagr_e_e_ strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly gree undecided disegree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly egree undecided disagree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly agree undecided disagree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly fires undecided disagree Page 3 - continued 27. 28. strongly agree neutral or disagree wrongly __agree undecided dis_sg_r_~ee strongly agree neutral or disagree stronsly egree undecided disagree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _e.gree undecided digeggee strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _ag:ee undettded 519253099 strongly terse neutral or disagree strongly __a_.gr_e_e undecided disggg strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly egree undecided disggree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _egree- undetided diggree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly egree undecided diseg_re_e strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly egree undecided disagr_'e_e strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly _agree undecided disagree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly egree undecided disegeee strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly gree undecided ”82553 strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly we undecided digegree strongly agree neutral or disagree strongly gree undecided disagree Physical Education Attitude Inventory Part 11 Directions: Please read careml . Below you will find additional statements concerning pmrsical recreat on.- use of leisure time) You have been provided with a separate answer sheet for recording your reaction to each question. (a) Read each question carefully. (b) 00 to the answer sheet. and (c) Opposite the number of the question place an "X" in the square which is UNDER the word or words which best expresses your feeling about the question. If you think it is very important then place an “K" under “very important." If you think mfiplacs an “K” under 'not at all.“ mmmrommmm O 1. Ice imam-tent do you consider pivsical recreational activity- (use of your leisure time) as part of your personal recreation program? s/z. to what extent do you have skills to participate in mm. golf. archery. tennis. or other similar sport activities for recreatiml. 3.Bcwmchctyo\u-leisurstimsdcyoudevotstcndming.bwling. golf. tendsmdctlnrsimilaractivitisswhmthsssactivitiessreinssascnt b.10uhatsxtsntdcymhaveskillinswimdngt 5. Towhat extentdcycu'have skillindancer 6.?owhatcxtentdoyculilostoparticipatersgularlyinssascninspcrt activities as recreation? X7.Towhatsxtsntdcyouli|cstouatch (spectator)spcrtevsntst 8.?cwhatantsntdcyoulihstowatch (spectator) «moments-contemporary. mm. folk: . 9.8wmhctyourtimeiny0urdailyuorkrcquirssstrmsmsical cortical 1. 2. 3. PART II ANSWER SHEET Moment quite a bit some a little not at all very much quite a bit some a little not at all very much quite a bit ewe a little not at all very much quite a bit some a little not at all very much quite a bit some a little not at all very much quite a bit some a little not at all very much mute a bit some a little not at all very much quite a bit some a little not at all very mughg quite a bit some a little not at all ‘,... PARTIII’ MAMMANDANWERSEEET A. fits your general attitude toward physical. educatim . Place an "x" above the segnent which best indicates your attitude toward physical education classes. If you are not sure which of We adjacent segments you desire to mark place your "x" exactly on the vertical line between the two seg- meats. , . ._ l . I . . gtrongly For not . -' *‘e‘utral Agafnst strongly for strongly but not strongly against B. Rate your general attitude toward participating in physical recreational activities. “x g . ,, a 1 l 1 ‘ - rong or not neutral against strongly for strongly but not strongly against 0. rate your general physical condition. (strength-stamina) Place an "1:” above the cement which best indicates your present physical condition. If you are not sure place your hark between the two segments. L I 4 ‘Very good Good Average .6ery low a. Rate your present figure condition (muscle tone-weight-fat deposits) eery good 500d Average Low *ery 13v 3. Rate your present posture (body augment) ery good Good“ Average cry lov F. Rate your general skill level in physical education activities. tery good {Food Average . {cw m YOUR OPINION Foundations of Physical Education Fall Term 1959-60 Place an 1: above the term vhich best indicates your reaction. 1. 3. late your general overall reaction to the Foundations course you had last tam. Very Very Favorable Favorable Indifferent Unfavorable Unfavorable Evalmte the amount of physical activity in the course. Very Very Favorable Favorable Indifferent Unfavorable Unfavorable To vhat extent has the course influenced you in planning future courses in Physical Education? Very Very Favorable Favorable Indifferent Infavorable unfavorable Have you experienced physical change in any way due to the activity and knowledge gained in this course? Very Very Favorable Favorable Indifferent Unfavorable Unfavorable Have you applied what you have learned in this course to your daily living - extent of activity, diet and rest? Very Very Favorable Favorable Indifferent unfavorable Unfavorable SURVEY m STUDENT NUIBER The following questionaire is to help our department have a better understanding of the physical education background of the college co-ed. 1. What is the date of your birth? YEAR mm 2. What is your probable future occupation or career? 3. Are you a resident of Michigan? Yes no u. If not. what state or country do you consider your residence? 5. From what sise hi h school did cu graduate? Circle your answer. 1. Class M 1500 and every 2. Class A {9004500) 3. Class 3 375-900) ‘h Class C (175-375) 5. Class D (175 or less) 6. How many years of physical education were required grades 9.12? 1. No requirement 2. 1 year 3, 2 years it. 3 years 5. 1+ years 7.1!requiredhcwmamysarsdidyoutake? l.flcrequireaent 2. lyear 3. 2years u. Byears 5. byears 8. If you were excused frca physical education for a term or more what was the reason? 1. Medical 2. Band 3. Schedule too full 15. Other 9. Fill in the chart below. Check for each period during your life the locality of your home. OPEN OOUNTM-ncn-fans l OPEN COUNTRY-fag; l SMALL CITY-2.500-504000 I MEDIUM CITY-50.000.500.000 t LARGE CITY-500.000 or more L. ‘Whet did your father enjoy doing most frequently last year during his leisure time? List three activities for the fall and.winter ”months and three for the spring and summer months. may serve as a guide or you may include others. TALL ANQ WINTER MONTHS 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. The list below SPRING A112 SUMMER mNTHS 2. 'What did your mother enjoy doing most frequently last year during her leisure time? Three activities for the fall and winter months and three for the spring and summer months. FALL‘AEQ‘WINTER MONTHS l. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. wmmm 3. ‘What did your total family group participate in for recreation during the last year? FALL _1_\_N_q WINTER MONTHS l. 2. 3. TEAM.SPORTS Baseball Basketball Soccer Volleyball Hockey CREATIVE ACTIVITIES Music Acting. dramatics Crafts and art writing HOBBIES Cooking Raising animals Sewing Photography Collecting things Building things Gardening 1. 2. 3. DANCE ACTIVITIES Folk Square Social INFORMAL SOCIAL £91. ‘Watching T-V Going to movies Visiting friends Playing cards & games Reading books Riding in a car Spectator-sport events Listening-radio Reading newspaper Reading magazines Attending church. school or civic meetings writing letters SPRING LN]; SUMMER w OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES Boating Camping FiShing Hiking Hunting Pienicking ‘Walking INDIVIDUAL a DEAL we Archery Apparatus Badminton Bowling Bicycling Boxing Croquet Diving Exercising & body conditioning Fencing Golf Horseback riding Ping Pong Skate Swimming Tennis 4. If your parents do participate in physical recreational activities (team sports. individual and dual sports, outdoor activities, or dance activities) why do they participate? Fill in the letters that indicate the two reasons given. 3a 1). Ca d. 3e f. FATHER Enjoy sports 1. Better health 2. Friends participate Means of relaxation mm To get recognition in the community 1. To secure relief from boredom 2. 0ther--(name) 5. If your parents do not participate in physical activity for recreation why don't they? FATHER a. Participation is not necessary 1. for health. 2. b. Lack skill c. Poor health MOTHER d. Lack of interest 1. e. Insufficient time 2. f. Other--(name) 6. Do you yourself participate in physical activities for your personal recreation? YES NO 7. List in order the three activities you pursue most frequently. 1. 2. 3. 8. Why do you participate in physical activities? Fill in three reasons. as b. ca (1. 90 f. 8e 11. i. J. Better figure MYSELF Enjoy vigorous physical activities 1. Better health 2. School requirement . 3 . Pressure from parents Secure relief from boredom My friends do Recognition from friends Better posture 0ther-( name) 9. If you do not participate in physical activities why don't you? Give three reasons. MYSELF b. c. d. e. f. g. Participation is not necessary 1. for health. 2. Lack skill 3. Lack of time Poor health Lack of interest Friends don't participate Other-(name) APPENDIX B DISTRIBUTION OF CHI SQUARE (Degrees Used in This Study) Degrees of Probability freedom . 05 . 02 ' . 01 . 001 3 7.815 g 9.837 11.345 16.266 4 9.488 11.668 13.277 18.467 6 12. 592 15. 033 16. 812 22. 457 9 16.919 19.679 21.666 27.8177 12 21. 026 24. 054 26. 217 32. 909 Ronald A. Fisher and Frank Yates, Statistical Tables for Biological Agricultural and Medical Research, Hafner Publishing Co. , Inc. , 1957, p. 45. ROOM USE ONLY