COMPARISON OF WOMEN FROM THE UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIA A Comparison of Athletic Identity, Gender Role Orientation, and Drinking Behavior in Women from the United States and Australia

The relationship between athletic identity, gender role orientation, and drinking behavior among college-aged women from the United States and Australia was explored in a sample of 301 female undergraduate students from the United States and Australia. Athletic identity refers to the extent to which individuals identify with an athletic role. Participants completed an anonymous, paper-and-pencil questionnaire addressing the variables noted above. ANOVA suggests that participants from the United States had both a higher mean masculine gender role orientation and a higher mean athletic identity. Participants from Australia reported a higher mean level of alcohol use. Moreover, participants scoring a higher mean athletic identity also reported a higher mean level of alcohol use in the last 30 days. Secondary analysis of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale revealed that participants from the United States have a significantly higher socioathletic role in athletic identity than their counterparts from Australia. Future research should focus on clarifying the construct of athletic identity and its relation to variables such as the ones studied in this project.