AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE VALUES OF SELECTED FOOTBALL PLAYERS AND NONFOOTBALL PLAYERS AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY AS DETERMINED BY THE ROKEACH VALUE SURVEY INSTRUMENT

The purpose of this study was to investigate certain values held by selected students at Michigan State University. The investigation focused on whether or not football players and nonfootball players had different values as defined by the Rokeach Value Survey.;Analysis of Data. The results were reported in descriptive, tabular and graphic form in two sections. The first section revealed findings from the analysis of variance data (ANOVA). One-way analysis of variance was calculated to analyze the relationships. The second section showed tables on the frequency distributions, means, ranks, and standard deviations of the entire sample.;Nine statisticaly significant differences were found between football players and nonfootball players on the eighteen terminal values. The nine values were: A Comfortable Life, An Exciting Life, A World at Peace, Equality, Family Security, Happiness, Inner Harmony, Mature Love and True Friendship.;The results showed five values were statistically significant different on the eighteen instrumental values. These values were Broadminded, Cheerful, Clean, Honest, and Obedient.;Procedure. To conduct the investigation, the Rokeach Value Survey Instrument was used. It contained a listing of eighteen terminal values and eighteen instrumental values. The survey instrument was mailed to 200 nonfootball players who were randomly selected by the Office of the Registrar. The instrument was given to sixty-nine football players in a group setting and also mailed to fifteen additional football players. Each respondent was requested to complete the survey instrument by answering the questions and arranging the values in order of their importance to them. The final sample consisted of eighty-eight nonfootball players and eighty football players.;The frequency distribution showed a similarity in the way football players and nonfootball players ranked the values on the Terminal and Instrumental scales.;The results of this preliminary study would suggest that although there were significant differences, football players and nonfootball players at M.S.U. generally share similar perceptions about the values on the Rokeach Value Survey Instrument.