Academic Stress and Sports Commitment - A Correlational Study

ACADEMIC STRESS AND SPORTS
COMMITMENT AMONG STUDENT SPORTS

TRAINEES: A CORRELATION?
A Group Project Proposal Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Award of the Degree of
Bachelor of Arts in PEP (Performing Arts, English and Psychology)
by
Akankha Basu Roy (1931135), Rachana Ramesh Shenvi (1931140), Nagashree S R

(1931149), & Antara C. Satheesh (1931156)
Under the Supervision of
Anjali Majumdar, Assistant Professor
Shrinivasa Basavaraj, former Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
CHRIST (Deemed to be University)
Bengaluru, India
May, 2022.
2
Academic Stress and Sports Commitment among Student Sports Trainees: A Correlation?
CERTIFICATE
Research project entitled Academic Stress and Sports Commitment among Student Sports
Trainees: A Correlation? by
1. Akankha Basu Roy, 1931135;
2. Rachana Ramesh Shenvi, 1931140;
3. Nagashree S R, 1931149;
4. Antara C Satheesh, 1931156.
is a record of research work done during the academic year 2021-2022 under my supervision in
partial fulfillment for the award of Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts, English, and
Psychology.
Place: Bengaluru Dr. Anjali Majumdar
Date: ………………… Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology,
CHRIST (Deemed to be University),
Bengaluru.
3
DECLARATION
We, Akankha Basu Roy, Rachana Ramesh Shenvi, Nagashree SR, and Antara C
Satheesh, hereby declare that the project report, titled ‘Academic Stress and Sports Commitment
among Student Sports Trainees: A Correlation?’ is a record of original research work undertaken
by us. We have completed this study under the supervision of Dr.Shrinivasa Basavaraj, and
Dr.Anjali Majumdar, Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed to be University),
Bengaluru.
We also declare that this project report has not been submitted for the award of any other
degree, diploma, associateship, fellowship or title. We hereby confirm the originality of the work
and that there is no plagiarism in any part of the report.
Place: Bengaluru
Date: 12.05.2022
Akankha Basu Roy (1931135)

Rachana Ramesh Shenvi (1931140)
Naghashree SR (1931149)
Antara C Satheesh (1931156)
Department of Psychology
CHRIST (Deemed to be University)
Bengaluru.
4
Acknowledgement
We would like to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to the Department of
Psychology at Christ (Deemed to be University) for providing us with this opportunity. Research
in Psychology is an inseparable aspect, and having it as a part of our curriculum gives us the
opportunity to grow, and explore more of the academic side to the subject, instead of focusing
innately onto the practical sessions only. We would also like to thank our professors, Dr. Shinto
Thomas, Dr. Shrinivasa Basavaraj, and Dr. Anjali Majumdar. Without their relentless support,
this research would not have been possible.
5
Abstract
Work load in today’s scenario has impacted our extracurricular activities and our constant
struggle to have commitment with our interests. The stress has a co-relational impact on our
performance and for students, it's mostly due to academic stress. Student Athletes have a lot of
difficulty in stabilizing their performances in both their academics and their performance in their
sports. This research study aims to find out if there is a correlation between the variables of
academic stress, and their commitment in sports, and if so, what is the nature of the correlation
and the effects of the former on the latter. Data analysis suggests that there is a negative
correlation between Academic stress and Enthusiastic Commitment, and a positive relationship
between Academic Stress and Constrained Commitment, thereby proving both our hypotheses
true. This research will help further student athletes and the sports community in tackling
stressors which impacts their performance in their field.
Keywords :, Academic stress, Sports Commitment, Commitment types, Commitment sources,

Enthusiastic Commitment, Constrained Commitment, Performance, correlation.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Certificate……………………………………………………………………………………..2
Declaration…………………………………………………………………………….............3
Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………….………4
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………….………5
Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………….……….6
List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………..……..7
List of Figures………………………………………………………………………………...8
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………….9
Review of Literature..………………………………………………………………...11
Rationale of the Study………………………………………………………………...13
Objective of Current Research…………………………………………………….......15
CHAPTER 2: METHOD……………………………………………………………………..16
Hypotheses…………………………………………………………………………....16
Sample…………………………………………………………………………….…..16
Tools…………………………………………………………………………………..18
Procedure……………………………………………………………………………...18
Data Analysis……………………………………………………………………….....18
Ethical Considerations………………………………………………………………….19
CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION……………………………………………...20
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION…………………………………………..26
REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………….27
APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………………..30
Appendix A: Informed Consent form…………………………………………………30
Appendix B: Socio-demographic form. ………………………………………………32
Appendix C: Rajendran-Kaliappan Scale..……………………………………………33
Appendix D: Sports Commitment Model Questionnaire-II...…………………………37
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Descriptive Measurement of the variables…………………………………………20

Table 2. Correlation Matrix of Academic Stress, Commitment types, and Sources………...21
8
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Bar representation of the age of the sample………………………………………….16

Figure 2. Bar representation of years of training of the sample………………………………..17
Figure 3. Bar representation of the years of academic training of the sample…………………17
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Academic Stress and Sports Commitment among Student Sports Trainees: A

Correlation?
Sports Psychology, according to the American Psychological Association, is "a discipline that
utilizes psychological knowledge and abilities to address optimal performance and well-being of
athletes, developmental and social elements of sports participation, and systemic challenges
related with sports settings and organizations." (American Psychological Association, 2008). As
mentioned earlier, it is a field that is still evolving and holds a lot of scope for development.
Sports ceases to be a recreational event when it is placed within a highly competitive
environment, where the stakes are too high, such as in instances that of student-athletes.
The state or attribute of being dedicated to your sport is characterized as commitment. It's
crucial to emphasize that this is something you choose to do. Commitment can be demonstrated
in three ways:
• Body Language — being powerful, confident, and rising to the occasion when things go wrong
• Effort - attempts are made repeatedly and diligently.
• On and off the field — decisions in both areas are working on commitment.
Sports commitment is a key motivational concept because it encapsulates athletes'

unwavering dedication to their sport. Simply described, it is a mental state that explains why
athletes perform as they do. Sports dedication can be divided into two categories: enthusiastic
and limited.
Enthusiastic commitment (EC) is a psychological construct that represents a person's

desire and determination to continue participating in a sport over time. This is to capture the
psychological attachment with the professional sport, the athletes will adapt and overcome the
10
obstacles and to effectively continue in sports participation and to play for long duration without
loss of enthusiasm. (Scalan, Carpenter et al., 1993)
Constrained commitment (CC) is a psychological term that represents perceptions of

duty to remain in a sport across time. It was newly conceptualized to provide a more complete
view of commitment. Entrapment commitment research has been evaluated using construct
profiles depending on the sources of commitment.. (Raedeke, 1997). The research on CC
highlighted feelings of obligation to play the sport and participate consistently and feeling
trapped as its necessary to not quit the sport.
The SC and CC, both forms of commitment is essential
Sports enjoyment : In youth and professional sport, the pleasant emotion of enjoyment
has been demonstrated to be a key component of motivation. Greater effort and mastery,
excellent team relations and support, and positive coach support and satisfaction with the
athletes' seasonal performance were all important sources of joy for these individuals. for a broad
set of athletes, and give light on the determinants of this essential effect.
Other priorities :This can be both attractive and stressful to cope with sports and
academics. (Scalan et al., 2003, 2009, 2013). Scalan used interviews and found that priorities like
friends, family, relationships, job, other sport interests can be attractive yet stressful and
pressing. The attractive\stressful to have effects on their commitment, the sport athletes directly
view it if it's conflicting with their sport. The athletes need to balance these other priorities with
their sport commitments which they experience regu
Desire to Excel : This has 2 subcategories : Mastery Achievement and Social

Achievement. Mastery achievement is playing the sport to the athlete’s full potential, striving to
improve in their game and to set desired goals timely to peak performance. Social achievement is
when the athlete strives for aiming to win and establishing superiority to outperform the
opponents.While the Desire to Excel construct includes both wanting and striving parts, we
focused mainly on " striving " in the items because " wanting " may have ceiling effects.For
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example, asking athletes if they wish to improve in their sport is likely to result in exorbitantly
high scores, resulting in a very skewed distribution.
Academic stress : Academic stress is described as the body's reaction to academic

demands that surpass students' adaptive capacity. Oral presentations, academic overload, a lack
of time to fulfill responsibilities, and taking exams are the most regularly mentioned stressors in
the academic environment.Excessive academic stress can lead to an increase in the prevalence of
psychological and physical problems such as depression, anxiety, nervousness, and stress-related
ailments, which can negatively impact their academic performance.
Review of literature
Since the growth of sports psychology as a subject, much has been researched and written
about. From the databases available on the online platform, the literature available can be divided
into two major categories. The first includes papers that have studied commitment in the field of
sports and reviewed the sports commitment model; the Second includes papers that have studied
the effects of academic stress on the sports performance of individuals particularly
student-athletes. Each has been elaborated under its corresponding heading.
Sports Commitment. Sports Commitment was first studied and suggested as a model to
understand commitment in sports persons towards their sports by T.K Scanlan et al. (1993). They
drew heavily from the study conducted by Kelley (1983) which suggested three “causal
conditions''. Scanlan et al. based their factors of the Sports Commitment model upon these three
causal conditions. The first condition suggests “attraction of the relationship” which Scanlan
categorized as Sports Enjoyment; the second condition talks about the “degree to which the
alternatives to the current situation are viewed as more or less attractive” and in SCM the factor
is known as Involvement Alternatives. The final conditions are the “restraint or act as barriers to
termination”. Scanlan et al. based the factors of Personal Investments, Social Constraints and
Involvement Opportunities upon this condition. (Scanlan et al., 1993a). Sports commitment was
divided into two categories: Enthusiastic commitment and Constrained commitment.
Enthusiastic commitment refers to the active involvement of the sportsperson out of their own
passion and love for the sports while constrained commitment involves a compelling factor that
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makes a sportsperson stick to the field. However, a study by Hall (1993) establishes negative
and insignificant correlations between social construct and sports commitment.
Effects of academic stress on sports performance. The majority of the studies under
this category establish a negative correlation amongst the two variables- academic stress and
sports performance. “In wearing these two hats,student-athletes often bear the brunt of tightly
regimented daily schedules involving academic monitoring appointments, classes and tutoring
sessions, practice and strength/conditioning workouts, and mandatory evening study halls
(Gayles, 2009).” (O'Neil et al., 2021). The studies conducted by Li et al (2017) and Mooreland et
al. (2018) have established that the demand to meet the academic and the athletic expectations of
their subscribed institutions induces a higher risk of unhealthy mental conditions among student-
athletes, mostly anxiety and depression. In turn, Hamlin et al. (2019) established that periods of
highest academic stress made it difficult for the student-athletes to manage time between their
sports practices and academic preparations, leading to poor mental health conditions. This
increased their susceptibility to injuries and illnesses.
The value of sports and its impact on wellbeing lies not only physically but has shown
great impact on mental wellbeing. Stress, happiness and psychological wellbeing play a vital role
in any individual’s life. A study on 100 samples of students were collected where 50 were into
sports and 50 were non-sport students. Perceived stress scale (Cohen 1983), Psychological well
being scale (Ryff, 1995), General Happiness Scale (Lyubomirsky & lepper 1999) administered
the samples, the t test results showed notable differences between the two groups in terms of
happiness, stress and mental wellbeing. Student athletes in collegiate level are expected to bloom
in sports as well as strive excellence in academic field. They need to meet expectations in having
consistent commitments by all institutions they belong to, be it, sports, college or
extracurriculars. We observed vague and limited literature regarding their academic stress
affecting their commitment in professional sports.This is to observe if dual commitments to
university and sports lead to conflicts or flexibility and compatibility in their commitment styles
and to observe relationships of the athlete’s academics, sport and general life. One study showed
how Dual commitment patterns when followed by enthusiastic approach led to less burn out and
higher level of positive indicators on their wellbeing. The major concern is athletes showing
improvement in their sports abilities depending on their commitment approach hugely. The
negative behavioral changes may be due to stressors. Interventions in monitoring and dealing
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with coping stress management strategies with these stressors can hugely impact their
performance and wellness.
Extensive research have been done on collegiates desire to excel, maintain and balance
time in both academics and sports. Studies and research have also been done on how playing
sports actively, helps in improving acedemic performance and reducing academic stress and
other stressors (Decamps et al, 2012; Deshpande, 2016; Oweis et al., 2018) There is individual
reseach done in most areas of sports performance and academic stress among school students and
collegiates. However, there has been a huge gap observed when it came to inter relational
researces or studies among sports performance and academic stress.
Rationale
With the passage of time, along with the growth of opportunities of exposure, the youth
also have to face academic stress which has now, unfortunately, grown to be merely a hassle of
the daily life that one lives. Moreover, studies have proved that a prolonged period of academic
stress, or any other form of stress, can lead to development of ill mental health conditions like
anxiety and depression. (Kessler, 1997; Moylan et al., 2013). Another fanatic field in our society
is the field of sports. But it is an extremely difficult journey for the aspiring sports persons until
they make it big. It is especially difficult for the student trainees who are simultaneously
pursuing an academic degree as a fallback alternative to sports. The lack of support
infrastructure, empathy, chase for academic achievement, and dual commitment creates an
unimaginable burden of stress for the student-athletes. Recently, established sports websites like
ESPN, The Bastion and Sportskeeda have covered in vast detail the grim situation of the student-
athletes of India and how they are getting defeated not in sports matches but to the reality of the
student sports scenario in the nation. (Selvaraj, 2019; Singh, 2018; Krishnamurthy, 2019)
Academic stress has repeatedly managed to be a primary concern for them. While the majority of
literature studies the variables in their individual sense, this research intends to be the pilot study
by studying the effect of academic stress on the sports commitment of the sports trainees. This
study and further research based on our study might help in bringing to light the unsaid struggles
of the community and probe towards the re-development of educational curricula in a manner
that empathises with the dual commitment of the student sports trainees and makes space for
their healthier development and easier adjustment in both the fields.
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Research Objectives
● To find out if the two variables- academic stress, and sports commitment have a
relationship, and understand its correlation;
● To study the effect of academic stress on sports commitment on a student sports trainee
in the country;
● To serve as a pilot study for further research which would suggest changes in curriculum
for better adaptability and commitment of the student sports trainees.
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Method
Hypotheses
● H1= Academic stress is negatively correlated with Enthusiastic Commitment, and
positively correlated with Constrained Commitment;
● H2= Academic stress leads to a decline in sports commitment.
Sample
The sample for the study was collected through the snowball technique. The research had
a sample size of 51 participants, who were/had pursuing/pursued an academic degree from any
recognised educational institution while playing sports at a representative level (district, state, or
national). There was no division in gender or age. However, the average age was found to be
21.41 as demonstrated in Figure 1. The average years of training in sports of the sample group is
7.490, as shown in Figure 2. Lastly, Figure 3 projects the years of education of the sample group.
Figure 1
Bar representation of the age of the sample
Figure 2
Bar representation of years of training of the sample
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Figure 3
Bar representation of the years of academic training of the sample
Research Design
This research was designed to be a correlational study if there were any effects of
academic stress (independent variable) on the sports commitment of student sports trainees
(dependent variable), and if yes, then, find out the nature of their correlation.
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Research Instruments
As part of the materials involved, a socio-demographic form and two scales were used to
measure the variables.The former was used to collect personal data about the participants
including their years of training in sports and academia, their levels of flexibility with their coach
and teachers, etc. The two scales used were Academic Stress Scale developed by Rajendran-
Kaliappan (1990), which is 40 scale questionnaire with a test-restest correlation score of 0.82
measures the academic stress of a student in 5 different dimensions including Personal
Inadequacy (F1), Fear of Failure (F2), Problems with instructors' interpersonal relationships
(F3), Relationship between teacher and student/teaching methods (F4), and Inadequate study
facilities (F5); and the Sports Commitment Model-2, developed by Scanlan et al, (1993b) and
furthered in 2016. It is a 58-item scale that measures two commitment types- Enthusiastic
Commitment and Constrained Commitment- and 10 commitment sources.
Procedure
A comprehensive form was created that included a consent sheet that informed the
participants about the potential benefits, advantages, and risks of being involved in the study
Once the consent was granted, the participants had to fill in their responses to questions on both
the measuring scales. There was no time limit given to the participants. The form alongwith the
questionnaires took about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Snowball technique was used where the
participants were requested to encourage their peers or their teammates to participate too. After
the sample number was met, the results were compiled in an excel sheet and coded according to
the dictates of the scale. The data analysis was done through the JAMOVI software.
Data Analysis
For the data analysis, first, descriptive statistics was used to find out the mean, median,
mode, and normality of the data collected from both the scales. After obtaining the results of the
descriptive statistical analysis, it was found out that the data was not normally distributed, and
hence, for the correlation as inferential statistics, Spearman’s technique was used for the
analysis, as it is widely used to study the non-parametric variables, as in this case.
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Ethical considerations
Utmost care has been taken by the researchers to maintain and abide by the ethical
standards whike conducting this study. An informed consent was obtained from the participants
before they began their questionnaire which informed them of the potential benefits, risks or
discomforts involved while being a part of the sample group for the study, while also informing
them of the confidentiality-maintaining procedures ensured by the researchers to maintain the
confidentiality of the responses received. The data collected has been saved in a password-
protected file, and shared with no one, and after the completion of this research, the data is
intended to be destroyed so as to avoid compromise on the confidentiality of the responses by the
respondents.
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Results
Academic Stress and Commitment types

Table 1
Descriptive Measurement of the variables
SHAPIRO
WILK
N Missing MEAN MED S.D MINI MAXI W p

IAN MUM MUM
F 51 948 75.3 75 30.84 0 147 0.970 0.227
EC 51 948 24.0 24 4.57 13 30 0.944 0.018
CC 51 948 14.5 15 4.99 5 25 0.982 0.610
The result was calculated using the JAMOVI software. Table 1 represents the descriptive
analysis of the variables including the mean, median, Standard Deviation, and the Shapiro-Wilk
value. The value of p for F (Academic Stress Scale total value) was 0.227, EC (Enthusiastic
Commitment) was 0.018, and CC (Constrained Commitment) was 0.610.
Due to the abnormal distribution of data, Spearman’s coefficient was selected for the
correlation matrix. p-value between F and EC is 0.472, and F and CC is 0.065, suggesting the
presence of a relationship between Academic Stress (F) and the Commitment types (EC and CC)
that is not so significant since it exceeds the standard value of 0.05. However, Spearman’s rho
value for F and EC is -0.103, and F and CC is 0.065, suggesting mild negative correlationship of
Academic Stress with the former (EC), and mild positive relationship with the latter (CC).
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Academic Stress and Commitment sources

Table 2
Correlation Matrix of Academic Stress, Commitment types, and Commitment Sources.
F EC CC SE VO OP PI-L PI-Q SC SS-E SS-I DtE- DtE-

MA SA
F Rho- value -
p- value -
EC Rho-value -0.103 -
p-value 0.470 -
CC Rho-value 0.261 0.117 -
p-value 0.065 0.413 -
SE Rho-value -0.209 0.569 -0.387 -
p- value 0.142 <.001 0.005 -
VO Rho-value -0.095 0.471 0.277 0.349 -
p-value 0.509 <.001 0.049 0.012 -
OP Rho-value 0.334 -0.165 0.262 0.039 0.276 -

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p-value 0.016 0.246 0.063 0.785 0.050 -
PI-L Rho-value -0.055 0.581 0.431 0.151 0.524 0.111 -
p-value 0.701 <.001 0.002 0.291 <.001 0.438 -
PI-Q Rho-value -0.187 0.730 0.047 0.655 0.591 0.003 0.602 -
p-value 0.188 <.001 0.742 <.001 <.001 0.981 <.001 -
SC Rho-value 0.159 0.419 0.618 0.039 0.545 0.212 0.539 0.333 -
p-value 0.264 0.002 <.001 0.785 <.001 0.135 <.001 0.017 -
SS-E Rho-value 0.151 0.594 0.224 0.445 0.451 0.237 0.511 0.623 0.424 -
p-value 0.289 <.001 0.115 0.001 <.001 0.093 <.001 <.001 0.002 -
SS-I Rho-value 0.062 0.629 0.471 0.272 0.500 0.088 0.620 0.541 0.683 0.635 -
p-value 0.667 <.001 <.001 0.053 <.001 0.539 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 -
DtE- Rho-value -0124 0.826 -0.036 0.704 0.504 -0.030 0.507 0.862 0.303 0.633 0.449 -
MA
p-value 0.384 <.001 0.800 <.001 <.001 0.836 <.001 <.001 0.031 <.001 <.001 -
DtE- Rho-value -0.090 0.776 0.141 0.629 0.696 0.105 0.571 0.771 0.455 0.584 0.575 0.843 -
SA
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p-value 0.530 <.001 0.323 <.001 <.001 0.464 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 <.001 -
23
Among the sources of the EC and CC, p-value suggests relationship of F with SE (p=
0.142), OP (p= 0.016), PI-Q (p= 0.188), SC (p= 0.264), SS-E (p= 0.289), and DtE-MA (p=
0.384). For the same, the Spearman’s rho value for F with SE is -0.209, OP is 0.334, PI-Q is
0.188, SC is 0.159, SS-E is 0.151, and DtE-MA is -0.124. This suggests that Academic stress is
mildly negatively correlated with Sports Enjoyment and Desire to Excel- MAstery Achievement;
while it is mildly, positively correlated with Personal Investments- Quantity, Social Constraints,
Social Support- Emotional, and lastly, positvely, moderately related to Other Priorities.
Discussion
The present study focused on the correlation between academic stress and sports
commitment within sports trainees. There were two hypothesis: H1= Academic stress is
negatively correlated with Enthusiastic Commitment, and positively correlated with Constrained
Commitment; H2= Academic stress leads to a decline in sports commitment.
After data analysis, both of our hypothesis stands rejected. The commitment variables
have p-value > 0.05, hence establishing a non-significant relationship between both the variables.
However, the data analysis implies a negative correlation between Academic stress and
Enthusiastic Commitment which suggests that an increase in academic stress results in a
decrease in enthusiastic commitment, i.e, their willingness to participate in sports takes a dip
when there is more pressure of academics. On the other hand, a positive correlation has been
found between Academic Stress and Constrained Commitment, which indicates more amount of
academic pressure results in more forced commitment to sports, meaning, student trainees
continue their sports training because of other obligations rather than personal willingness when
the academic pressure is high.
The above analysis is confirmed by the correlational values between commitment types,
commitment sources, and academic stress. Sports Enjoyment (SE) which is a positive component
for enthusiastic commitment (Scanlan et al., 2016) is strongly, positively correlated to
Enthusiastic Commitment (EC) but is mildly, negatively correlated to academic stress, but more
than EC. Similarly, Other Priorities (OP) is moderately positively correlated to academic stress
and Constrained Commitment (CC) and is mildly, negatively correlated to Enthusiastic
Commitment (EC). Thus, it can be inferred that when the academic stress in a student sports
24
trainees is high, their other priorities increases which results in the decrease in the sports
enjoyment resulting in more of Constrained Commitment rather than Enthusiastic Commitment.
However, the existing literature does not support our findings. Within the limited present
literature in this field, all the prior studies albeit studying particular sports, do show an influential
correlation between students stress and their commitment to sports, wherein not only their
physical well-being but also mental health had take a toll. Academics might be just an aspect of
it, but our research shows it is not significant enough to influence the commitment of student
trainees in sports.
Implications
Given the literature proving the deteriorating mental health of student sports- trainees,
our research scraps the notion of academic stress being an important determinant of sports
trainees Constrained Commitment towards their sports, and brings to light the question: if not
academics, what truly is the primary cause in the declining mental health of the student-athletes?
Despite the limitations, this research can be the base for further studies to explore the well-being
of student sports trainees and understand the psychology of the population in totality. This would
only serve to help them through the development of thoughtfully laid out methods and
approaches to help them cope better with the stress of duality or dual commitment, and reduce
their risks of being injured, both physically and mentally. This research can also serve as the base
for further research exploring the same- effects of academic stress on the student sports trainees-
but with a larger sample size, where the samples are students and sports trainees at the moment.
Limitations
This research had limitations that are to be considered by the researchers who intend to
further this study. The sample size of the research was considerably small, owing to the lesser
availability of sports trainees who were willing to take part in the study. Due to the corona-virus
situation, and the subsequent imposition of restrictions, physical collection of data was an option
that had to be scraped out and that added to the previous imitation. Moreover, a lot of sports
trainees were unwilling to respond to the questionnaire since it was a lengthy one and demanded
their full attention. Snowball technique was not very effective, in the sense, that potential
participants who were approached by the respondents were unenthusiastic upon filling out
25
questionnaires since they were not personally acquainted with the researchers. Moreover, there
was a paucity of time.
26
Summary and Conclusion
Hence, to summarise the research, it was hypothisized that there is a correlation between
academic stress and sports commitment model among the student sports trainees, with no
specific demand of age or gender. The research design was ideated to be first descriptive
analysis, followed by finding out the correlation between both the values. The sample size was
set at 50, and the snowball technique was used to collect data. The Jamovi software was used to
analyse the data. It was found out that there is no significant relationship between both the
variables, thereby, proving our hypothesis wrong.
There were a few limitations that might have influenced the research and the subsequent
findings in unpredictable ways. For further research based on this study, it is advised that these
limitations are taken care of and eradicated so as to prevent the influence of it over the data. In
the real-world setting, there have been a lot of instances where the student sports trainees have
had a bad time trying to manage it all. However, it has still not managed to gain the spotlight, or
even considerations from their own authorities. It is time that these athletes are given special care
and attention since the dual responsibility may burden them too much resulting in exhaustion,
fatigue, poor mental health, etc. For a successful player, their physical health is as important as
their mental health, and researching about them is the first step of doing something for them.
27
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physiology, 10, 34. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.00034
K. Oweis, H. Quteishat, M. Zgoul and A. Haddad, "A Study on the Effect of Sports on Academic
Stress Using Wearable Galvanic Skin Response," 2018 12th International Symposium on
Medical Information and Communication Technology (ISMICT), 2018, pp. 1-6, doi:
10.1109/ISMICT.2018.8573736.
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Kelley, H. H., Berscheid, E., Christensen, A., Harvey, J. H., Huston, T. L., Levinger, G.,
McClintock, E., Peplau, L. A., & Peterson, D. R. (1983). Close relationships. New York:
Freeman.
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be-able-to-support-the-student-athlete.
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symptoms and prospective injury risk in collegiate athletes. Am. J. Sports Med. 45,
2148–2155. doi: 10.1177/0363546517702847
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30
Appendix-A
The informed Consent Form
You are being asked to participate in a research study conducted by ---------------------from the
Department of Psychology at CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore under the
supervision of Dr. Shrinivasa Basavaraj. The results of this study will be used to fulfil the
requirements of a research project for the degree of (indicate degree). You were selected as a
possible participant in this study because you fit into all the categories of our inclusion criteria.
Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to study the effect of academic stress on the sports commitment of
student sports trainees.
Procedures
If you decide to participate in this study, you will be expected to Respond to an online
questionnaire and share them with persons deemed fit for the study. The duration of this research
is from September 2021 to April 2022.
Potential Risks and Discomforts

Potential discomforts could occur with regards to being honest about the level of stress or
discomfort in your daily life, if any. Potential benefits to participants and/or to society There
most likely will not be any direct benefit for the participant, but this research will help us draw
conclusions based on the generalised results of the research. Any information that is obtained in
connection with this study and that can be identified with you will remain confidential and will
be disclosed only with your permission. All our information is stored on a document to which
only our research team and supervisor have access. If information will be released to any other
party for any reason, it will be done so with prior consent from the participant, after disclosing
the reason behind the release of information. There will be no audio or videotaping throughout
the course of this survey.
31
Data Storage and Disposal

Data collected from you will be stored in a password-protected file, with access limited to only
the researchers and the concerned supervisor of the project. Under no circumstances will the data
be used for any non-academic purposes. Collected data will be destroyed after April 2022.
Participation and withdrawal
You can choose whether to be in this study or not. If you volunteer to be in this study, you may
withdraw at any time without consequences of any kind. The investigator may withdraw you 21
from this research if circumstances arise that warrant doing so.
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact us at:
Rachna Shenvi; rachna.shenvi@arts.christuniversity.in
Antara C. Satheesh; antara.satheesh@arts.christuniversity.in
Akankha Basu Roy; akankha.roy@arts.christuniversity.in
Nagashree S.R; nagashree.sr@arts.christuniversity.in
Rights of Research Participants

You may withdraw your consent at any time and discontinue participation without penalty. You
are not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies because of your participation in this research
study. I understand the procedures described above. My questions have been answered to my
satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have been given a copy of this form
________________________________________ Printed Name of Participant
________________________________________ E-signature or Initials of Participant 22
32
Appendix-B
The Socio-demographic form
Name : Sex: M/F

DOB: Age:
Years of Education: Years of Training:
Monthly Family Income:
Family support in sports: YES ___ NO ___
Coach flexibility in academics : 1,2,3,4,5 (1 lowest,5 highest)

____________
University flexibility in training : 1,2,3,4,5 (1 lowest,5 highest)

_____________
No. of hours spent on sports training per day: _____________

No. of hours spent on academics per day: ______________
Do you have time for self care? Yes ______ No ______
33
Appendix-C
Academic Stress Scale: Rajendran-Kalliapan Scale
This scale consists of 40 items describing the stress in your institution/ college life from various
sources. The level of stress you feel for each item can be indicated by marking a ‘’ mark in the
bracket given against each statement.
If you feel No Stress put a ‘’ mark in the 1st bracket (NS), Slight Stress in the 2nd (SS),
Moderate Stress in the 3rd (MS), High Stress in the 4th (HS) and you feel Extreme Stress put a ‘’
mark in the 5th bracket (ES).
S.No Statement NS SS MS HS ES
1. Teachers make too many extra demands on students. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
2. Poor interest in some subjects. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
3. Progress reports to parents ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
4. The teacher is not humours towards us. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
5. Lack of concentration during study hours. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
6. Difficulty in remembering all that is studied. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
7. Worrying about the examinations. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
8. Lack of self-confidence. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
9. The teachers do not listen to our ideas. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
10. Conflict with friends/college authorities. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
11. Teachers give more punishment in the class. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
12. Worry about results after examinations. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
13. Hesitate to ask the teacher for detailed explanation. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
14. Biased attitude of the teacher. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
15. Inadequate space or room for study at home. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
16. Not knowing how to prepare for the examinations. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
17. Lack of assertiveness (confidence) in the class. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
18. Lack of opportunity to meet teachers. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
19. Teacher shows socio-economic status on students. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
34
20. Slow in getting along with the curriculum. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

21. Exam papers are tough and not valued well. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
22. Unable to complete the assignment in time. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
23. Lack of communication between teachers and students. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
24. Monotonous (boring or tedious) teaching style by the teacher. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
25. Not enough discussion in the class. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
26. Lack of mutual help among classmates. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
27. Lack of fluency while speaking the language other than the mother tongue. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
28. Difficulty in public speaking. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
29. The teacher is fast and does not use blackboard legibly. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
30. Teachers lacking interest in students. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
31. Examination syllabus is too heavy in some subjects. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
32. Feeling of inferiority. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
33. Unable to discuss Academic failures with parents. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
34. Not able to grasp the subject matter. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
35. Incomplete and confusing study material. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
36. Eleventh hour preparation for the examinations. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
37. Importance of the subject matter. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
38. Difficulty in adjusting with opposite gender. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
39. Inadequate subject knowledge of the teacher. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
40. Inadequate lab and library facilities. ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ).
35
Appendix-D
The Sports Commitment Model Questionnaire- II
36
37

Academic Stress and Sports Commitment - A Correlational Study

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ACADEMIC STRESS AND SPORTS

COMMITMENT AMONG STUDENT SPORTS

Requirements for the Award of the Degree of

Bachelor of Arts in PEP (Performing Arts, English and Psychology)

Akankha Basu Roy (1931135), Rachana Ramesh Shenvi (1931140), Nagashree S R

Under the Supervision of

Anjali Majumdar, Assistant Professor

Shrinivasa Basavaraj, former Assistant Professor

CHRIST (Deemed to be University)

1. Akankha Basu Roy, 1931135;

2. Rachana Ramesh Shenvi, 1931140;

4. Antara C Satheesh, 1931156.

Place: Bengaluru Dr. Anjali Majumdar

Date: ………………… Assistant Professor

CHRIST (Deemed to be University),

Akankha Basu Roy (1931135)

Keywords :, Academic stress, Sports Commitment, Commitment types, Commitment sources,

Table 1. Descriptive Measurement of the variables…………………………………………20

Figure 1. Bar representation of the age of the sample………………………………………….16

Academic Stress and Sports Commitment among Student Sports Trainees: A

• Effort - attempts are made repeatedly and diligently.

Sports commitment is a key motivational concept because it encapsulates athletes'

Enthusiastic commitment (EC) is a psychological construct that represents a person's

Constrained commitment (CC) is a psychological term that represents perceptions of

The SC and CC, both forms of commitment is essential

Desire to Excel : This has 2 subcategories : Mastery Achievement and Social

Academic stress : Academic stress is described as the body's reaction to academic

Academic Stress and Commitment types

N Missing MEAN MED S.D MINI MAXI W p

F 51 948 75.3 75 30.84 0 147 0.970 0.227

EC 51 948 24.0 24 4.57 13 30 0.944 0.018

CC 51 948 14.5 15 4.99 5 25 0.982 0.610

Academic Stress and Commitment sources

F EC CC SE VO OP PI-L PI-Q SC SS-E SS-I DtE- DtE-

CC Rho-value 0.261 0.117 -

p-value 0.065 0.413 -

SE Rho-value -0.209 0.569 -0.387 -

p- value 0.142 <.001 0.005 -

VO Rho-value -0.095 0.471 0.277 0.349 -

p-value 0.509 <.001 0.049 0.012 -

OP Rho-value 0.334 -0.165 0.262 0.039 0.276 -

p-value 0.016 0.246 0.063 0.785 0.050 -

PI-L Rho-value -0.055 0.581 0.431 0.151 0.524 0.111 -

p-value 0.701 <.001 0.002 0.291 <.001 0.438 -

PI-Q Rho-value -0.187 0.730 0.047 0.655 0.591 0.003 0.602 -

p-value 0.188 <.001 0.742 <.001 <.001 0.981 <.001 -

SC Rho-value 0.159 0.419 0.618 0.039 0.545 0.212 0.539 0.333 -

p-value 0.264 0.002 <.001 0.785 <.001 0.135 <.001 0.017 -

Summary and Conclusion

Krishnamurthy, V. (2019). The need for a student-athlete system in India. Sportskeeda.com.

The informed Consent Form

Purpose of the Study

Potential Risks and Discomforts

Data Storage and Disposal

Rachna Shenvi; rachna.shenvi@arts.christuniversity.in

Antara C. Satheesh; antara.satheesh@arts.christuniversity.in

Akankha Basu Roy; akankha.roy@arts.christuniversity.in

Nagashree S.R; nagashree.sr@arts.christuniversity.in

Rights of Research Participants

The Socio-demographic form

Name : Sex: M/F

Monthly Family Income:

Family support in sports: YES _ NO _