An analysis of the relationship between obsessive-compulsive personality, running addiction and running commitment in elite runners

This research examined the relationship between running addiction, running commitment and obsessive-compulsive personality as measured by the Negative Addiction Scale (Hailey & Bailey, 1982), Commitment to Running Scale (Carmack & Martens, 1979), and the Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Gibb, Bailey, Best & Lambirth, 1983) respectively. Demographic data on sex and age of subjects was also gathered.

Elite distance runners (N=143) served as subjects in the research. Subjects were also broken into categories by sex (male=95, female=48) and by age (open=l15, masters=28). Subjects were mailed the Running Behavior Questionnaire which was made up of the Negative Addiction Scale, Commitment to Running Scale and the Obsessive-compulsive Scale. A response rate of 72% was obtained for the sample.

Multiple regression analysis revealed running addiction and running commitment are not significant predictors of obsessive-compulsive personality when the sample was considered as a whole or was split by sex and age groupings.

Factor analysis revealed seventeen factors with eigen values of one or greater when all items from the three instruments employed were placed into a principle component analysis with varimax rotation. None of the seventeen factors could be labeled, when three factors were specified items from the commitment to Running Scale significantly loaded on one factor while items contained in the Obsessive compulsive Scale loaded significantly on another. Items from the Negative Addiction Scale failed to load.

Results did not support the theory that one underlying construct was in operation between running addiction, running commitment and obsessive-compulsive personality based upon the lack of significant results from multiple regression analysis and the failure of one clear factor to be extracted in factor analysis. However, the reliability and validity of the Negative Addiction scale was questioned. Recommendations for future research included the development of sport-specific measuring instruments for obsessive-compulsive personality, the use of qualitative research methods, the examination of childhood and adolescent experiences to determine how dysfunctional exercise behavior develops and the further examination of motivations for running.

Note: Abstract extracted from PDF file via OCR.