Falk College strives to achieve excellence in education not only through good teaching but also through participation in active research. Our students benefit by learning from researchers who are working at the cutting-edge of knowledge, within well-equipped laboratories, and in projects that are both domestic and abroad. We encourage both undergraduates and graduate engagement to achieve not only a rewarding educational experience but also enhanced career opportunities upon graduation. Learn more about the different types of research awards.
Extramural AwardExploring FIFA Video Games as a Channel to Promote Football Participation, Football Literacy, and Psychosocial Well-being
This project is proposed to (1) investigate how FIFA video games usage is associated with football participation and psychological well-being, and (2) develop strategies to better utilize the video game series in stimulating football participation. Two survey-based studies are designed for the project, targeting adults in the U.S. and Canada. In Study 1, we compare four groups [FIFA video games usage (Y/N) x physical play in football (Y/N)] on their football enjoyment/involvement and physical and mental health. In Study 2, we focus on those who only play football online, and introduce/test the concept of ‘football literacy’ as a mediator explaining the football participatory effects of playing FIFA video game series.
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2019-2020 Falk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Seed Grant AwardOlympic Sponsorship in Small States; Strategies and Partnerships for Caribbean National Olympic Committees
The Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (“CANOC”) consists of 28 National Olympic Committees (“NOC”) in the Caribbean region. A key agenda of CANOC’s member NOCs is developing an Olympic sponsorship program to provide the needed support for their national team and sport events and to diversify the revenue stream heavily reliant on the International Olympic Committee and government subsidies. Being placed in a unique sport market of small states (cf. characterized by a small population, confined economy, small private sectors), Caribbean NOCs have struggled to bring sponsorship revenue and existing knowledge on sponsorship had limited applicability (cf. as mainly derived from advanced sport markets).
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2019-2020 SU CUSE GrantE-sport, psychological well-being, and sport participation: Data collection and natural field experimental analysis
E-sport participation can be conceptualized as competitive video game played at grassroot levels, where the video game of interest is played in professional competitions. In terms of the time use and prevalence, competitive online gaming is an important activity among American youth. According to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, more than 92% of 1,641 sampled Americans age 17-27 had at least one experience with competitive online gaming.
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2018-2019 Falk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Seed Grant AwardCoping with Losses: Need Un-fulfillment and its Influence on Sport Consumer’s Temporal Psychological Well-being
Losing is an imperative part of sport, but has garnered relatively less attention in sport consumer well-being research. Therefore, this research project investigates how sport consumers psychologically process their sport team’s loss and how the process impacts one’s well-being state.
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Extramural AwardBuilding a Sport Participation Legacy Through the 2018 Winter Olympic Games
With final preparations underway for the 2018 Winter Olympics scheduled to begin February 9 in PyeongChang, South Korea, Falk College assistant professor of sport management, Jamie Jeeyoon Kim, is researching the negotiation of motivation and constraints in young people’s decision-making for tuning into the Winter Olympics. More importantly, her research investigates how watching the Winter Olympics affects the decision-making process for sport participation. Dr. Kim was awarded $18,000 as part of the International Olympic Committee’s advanced Olympic research grant for her project, “Building a Sport Participation Legacy Through the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.” She also received a Falk College Seed Grant for $7,500 grant for the project, “Building Korea’s Brand Personality and Equity with the Olympic Brand and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.”
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2017-2018 Falk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Seed Grant AwardBuilding Korea’s Brand Personality and Equity with the Olympic Brand and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics
Countries host the Olympics with expectations to improve the country’s brand through the games. The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics is no exception, expecting $10.5 billion worth country brand improvement effect that leads to $39.8 billion worth of increase in Korean product sales and tourist visit (HRI, 2011). However, such optimistic expectation on branding effects is often criticized as ‘unreliable’, ‘romanticized’, and ‘unrealized’.
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