Résumé
The benefits of peer mentoring among athletes have been documented, but few studies have investigated why athletes are inclined to mentor teammates. The purposes of this study were to: a) examine whether personality and social status predicted athletes' willingness to mentor teammates, and b) explore whether social status moderated the personality—willingness to mentor relationship. Participants were 178 (Mage=20.22; SD=1.44; females=123; males=54; non-binary=1) NCAA athletes who completed an online survey assessing the Big Five personality traits, perceived social status, and willingness to mentor teammates who played the same position as them and a different position as them. A series of moderated multiple regressions were conducted. Extraversion (b=.30, p<.01same; b=.28, p<.05different), agreeableness (b=.48, p<.01same; b=.35, p<.05different), and openness (b=.35, p<.05same; b=.31, p<.05different) predicted greater willingness to provide friendship mentoring to teammates who played the same position, as well as a different position. Agreeableness predicted greater willingness to provide task instruction mentoring to teammates who played the same position (b=.40, p<.05). Greater social status was a stable predictor of willingness to provide task instruction mentoring to teammates who played the same and a different position, and friendship mentoring to teammates who played the same position (ps<.05), but not friendship mentoring to teammates who played a different position. Simple slopes revealed an association between openness and greater willingness to provide task instruction mentoring to teammates who played a different position at high levels of social status only (b=.83, p<.01). Findings suggest athletes with certain characteristics may be more inclined to support teammates.
