Williams in Human Development Studying Impact of Perception of Performance on Young Athletes

University Relations

Amanda Williams is an assistant professor of human development and family science's in Bumpers College's School of Human Environmental Sciences.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – U of A assistant professor of human development and family sciences Amanda Williams is conducting research to study how stories and public perception on success and failure impact young athletes, and if more focus on adolescent and emerging-adult development leads to healthier overall well-being.

"Elite athletes spend a significant portion of their lives focused on optimal performance," said Williams, who joined the faculty in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's School of Human Environmental Sciences last fall. "There is plenty of sports psychology research focused on performance-enhancing factors. Less research focuses on adolescent and emerging adult development of self, mental health and overall well-being within this performance-driven, high achieving context."

She and other researchers traveled to Mexico in November and are returning this semester. The first visit was to fine-tune field research methodology and to collect pilot data on the purpose, performance-based self-understanding, and the mental health and well-being of elite athletes participating in a service project.

"This study aims to better understand how performance-based narratives impact young athletes and whether a community-based intervention is effective in shifting critical performance-based narratives into healthier, purpose-based identities that lead to character virtue, such as gratitude and generosity," said Williams.

The goal is to expand the research to other populations of youth and families where performance-based narratives are relevant, prevalent and destructive.

"Many externalizing and internalizing problems seen among athletes may be linked with a performance-based narrative that is common among successful athletes," said Williams. "Additionally, it is speculated that the nature of social media and athletes' sponsorship-driven engagement with the public online may further heighten a performance-based sense of self."

Williams is serving as methodology consultant for a grant funded by the John Templeton Foundation awarded to Ben Houltberg and Sarah Shnitker with the Thrive Center for Human Development. The John Templeton Foundation funds research in the area of character virtue development, which focuses on moral, performance, civic and intellectual virtues such as humility, gratitude, curiosity, diligence and honesty. The center promotes "human thriving" through empirical research and by creating resources to inspire, educate and equip those caring for today's youth.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.