Abstract

Parenting styles have been widely studied for developmental and psychological outcomes, but less research has been done to examine their influence on the collegiate athlete experience. Athletic satisfaction and burnout are important factors in an athlete’s well-being and continued participation in sport/s. This study investigated parenting styles and their influence on athletic satisfaction or burnout in varsity student-athletes at The College of Wooster (N = 66). Participants completed online surveys that assessed their perceived primary parental authority style, athletic satisfaction, burnout symptoms, teammate relationships, and coaches’ behaviors. Results suggested that perceived authoritative parenting was positively correlated with athletic satisfaction (r = .48, p < .001). Student-athletes showed varied levels of athletic satisfaction depending on their primary experienced parenting style, from their mother, father, and combined. Though those who primarily experienced authoritative parenting had higher levels of athletic satisfaction. Athletic satisfaction was negatively correlated with burnout (r = -.52, p < .001). Overall, these findings suggest that perceived parenting styles influence the athletic satisfaction and burnout of collegiate athletes.

Advisor

Scheibe, Dan

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2026 Charlotte R. Sefcik