Construction and Validation of the Athletic Coaching Touch Utility Index

Abstract

This thesis involved the construction and testing of an index used to examine observers’ interpretations of how touch enacted by coaches affects athletes in a competitive sporting context. The results offered statistical support for the Revised Athletic Coaching Touch Utility Index (ACTUIR) to be comprised of five components measuring the degree that observers interpret coaching touch to incite athlete’s feelings of appreciation, comfort, sexual arousal, skill building, and trust/respect. The findings also suggested that coach-enacted touch influences the emotional and relational messages exchanged between coaches and athletes. That is, gender along with the type of touch statistically impacted how observers perceived the messages conveyed from coaches to athletes after watching web videos of coaches touching athletes before competitions. Moreover, the ACTUIR showed promise as an instrument to examine coaching touch in a sporting context.