Gender differences in the quality of teammate relationships and fear of negative evaluation in competitive athletes

Research suggests that males and females form same-sex friendships in qualitatively different ways, emphasize the importance of different aspects of these relationships, and demonstrate differing patterns of relationship utilization. This study explores whether gender differences occur in the quality of teammate relationships amongst competitive athletes. In addition, gender differences in feelings about evaluation by multiple sources, including teammates, were assessed. Male and female undergraduates were recruited from Division I competitive college sports teams to complete the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale; Brief Version (Leary, 1983), the Sport Friendship Quality Scale (Weiss and Smith, 1999), demographic information, as well as questions about previous and current sports experiences and friendship. Gender, was associated with differences in the quality of friendships among teammates, but not with measures of fear of negative evaluation. The participants' year in school was found to impact their feelings about evaluation by teammates and coaches. Furthermore, associations between friendship quality and fear of negative evaluation were found to differ for male and female athletes. Findings are discussed in terms of significance for athletic persistence and positive athletic experience.