Examination of Rumor Susceptibility in Professional and Amateur Active Athletes

Authors : Devrim Bulut, Hanifi Üzüm

Pages : 504-517

Doi:10.25307/jssr.1749756

View : 105 | Download : 265

Publication Date : 2025-10-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study was conducted to determine the susceptibility of professional and amateur athletes, competing in individual and team sports, to the influence of rumors. The research employed the relational survey model, which is one of the general survey designs. The sample of the study consisted of licensed athletes actively engaged in sports in Bolu and the surrounding provinces (Düzce, Sakarya, Kocaeli, Zonguldak, and Ankara). Among the random sampling methods, purposive sampling was utilized, and a total of 275 amateur and professional athletes were selected using the maximum variation sampling method. The data were collected through the “Rumor Influence in Sports Scale.” In data analysis, descriptive statistics, t-test, Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), and Pearson Correlation Analysis were applied. The findings revealed that rumors were more prevalent in the dimensions of motivation and intra-organizational dissemination, and that senior athletes experienced a higher level of intra-organizational circulation. It was also found that team athletes, despite being more negatively affected by rumors than individual athletes in terms of individual influence and intra-organizational dissemination, tend to use rumors as a means of communication. Furthermore, female professional athletes were found to be more positively influenced by rumors in the motivation dimension compared to female amateur athletes, whereas male amateur athletes were positively influenced in motivation but negatively affected in intra-organizational dissemination compared to their professional counterparts.
Keywords : Rumor, Amateur athlete, Professional athlete, Communication

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