Effects of team identification on college adjustment: A cross-national study between American and Korean students

This study examined national differences of team identification toward intercollegiate athletics and students' academic adjustment, as influenced by social adjustment. A purposive sample of 320 American students at a major public university in the southeastern part of the United States and 301 South Korean students at a major private university in the western part of Korea participated in this study. While team findings indicated that team identification was significantly different between the two countries, social adjustment was not significantly different between two countries. In particular, while team identification with intercollegiate athletics functions as a stronger predictor to enhance students' academic adjustment in American students than Korean students, team identification has a greater impact on social adjustment for Korean students. In addition, social adjustment influenced by team identification is a more significant factor on academic adjustment for Korean students. This study may provide insight into intercollegiate athletics as significant communication tools to improve the quality of students' life in college environment.