While browsing WIWMTK, you may have wondered how exactly the “dumb jock” stereotype is related to disabilities. In a series of blog posts, I will answer that exact question in detail, but for a brief explanation:
There is a prominent narrative surrounding student-athletes in which they are viewed as less capable academically (or better known as the "dumb jock"). However, playing sports puts student-athletes at risk of sustaining concussions. Despite their prevalence, concussions are difficult to diagnose and it is not uncommon for them to go undiagnosed. Sustaining traumatic brain injuries can lead to various disabilities such as with cognition or communication. However, due to the dumb jock stereotype (i.e., the belief that student-athletes are less capable in terms of intellect and motivation) teachers may ignore the signs of concussion-related disabilities. Rather than recognizing that a student may be having difficulty in class for outside reasons, confirmation bias could cause teachers to see a cognitively impaired student-athlete struggling to concentrate and, without knowing there is an undiagnosed concussion, reinforce their own stereotypical notion of the dumb jock. This is because, if instructors continue to subscribe to the idea that student-athletes are disinterested or less capable than their peers, they will ignore the signs of concussion-related disabilities such as difficulty with memory and concentration and instead use such instances as reinforcement of their existing belief in the dumb jock.
This post is the third and final post in a three-part series detailing the implications of the dumb jock stereotype, the elusive nature of concussions, and how confirmation bias can prevent student-athletes from receiving the proper treatment they need. If you haven’t already, read Pt. 1 of this series (The Origins and Development of The “Dumb Jock”) here and Pt. 2 (The Likelihood and Implications of Undiagnosed Concussions) here. In this post, the connection between the dumb jock stereotype and disabilities will be elucidated.
To understand the connection between the dumb jock stereotype, concussions, and disabilities and how this all relates to What I Wish My Teacher Knew, we must understand confirmation bias.
Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias, as defined in the Encyclopedia Britannica, is “the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs”.1 This means that we search for information or construe new information to fit our previously held beliefs, usually unconsciously. Not only do we attempt to find information that validates our beliefs, but we may also ignore anything contradicting them.4 Now, while confirmation bias may seem like a bad thing, it should be noted it is our brain’s way of helping us quickly process the magnitude of information we come across each day.1 However, knowing this, we need to be diligent in checking ourselves for unintentional bias by searching for new information (as you may be doing by reading this post!) and being open-minded when presented with information that goes against what you believe to be true.
Confirmation bias: The tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs
With this understanding of confirmation bias, we can begin to create the connection between the previous two posts which discussed the dumb jock stereotype as well as undiagnosed concussions causing disabilities.
As explained in The Origins and Development of the “Dumb Jock,” student-athletes today face a stereotype that leads their teachers and peers alike to view them as less academically capable both in terms of intellect and drive compared to non-athlete students. There are various components to this stereotype. People who support this narrative may feel student-athletes aren’t as smart as other students, don’t work as hard, or receive/expect to receive underserved special benefits due to their status as student-athletes.5 In The Likelihood and Implications of Undiagnosed Concussions, the prevalence of undiagnosed concussions as well as the long-lasting impairments they can cause is revealed. It is estimated that approximately the same number of concussions diagnosed annually go undiagnosed each year.6 If left untreated physical symptoms of concussions like headaches can reveal a condition called post-concussion syndrome (PCS) which lasts for months or longer, with psychosocial impairments like depression and anxiety as well as cognitive and neuropsychological deficits such as subjective concentration and impaired memory impacting the lives of those with the condition if it goes unchecked.3
We not only know the major ideas that make up the dumb jock stereotype but also that research has shown teachers and students alike have negative perceptions of student-athletes because of the stereotype.5 This is demonstrated in the study conducted by Simon et al. as well as in the interviews I carried out that were discussed in Pt 1. But to summarize the findings of those two, 33% of student-athletes reported feeling negatively perceived by professors and 59.1% felt negatively perceived by other students.5 (For a more in-depth explanation of how much of this involves the perceived lack of intellect, lack of motivation, or undeserved special benefits, view Pt. 1). Pt. 2 uncovered that concussions frequently go undiagnosed and thus untreated, which can cause the aforementioned concussion-related disabilities. 3,6
Now, consider a student-athlete who sustained a tough blow to the head during a game but because they didn’t lose consciousness or show any symptoms at the time, they were not diagnosed with a concussion. However, upon returning to class they find they’re growing tired very quickly, can’t seem to focus on the lecture, and can’t remember the material covered a few PowerPoint slides ago. This isn’t an uncommon experience. Cover et al. conducted various phone interviews with retired collegiate athletes who had sustained 1 or more concussions and found that not only was their sports performance affected, the former student-athletes experienced obstacles within their daily lives and struggled to reintegrate into an academic environment following diagnose concussions.2 Some of the respondents' statements are included below.
“I didn't think I would get a headache just from going to class, but focusing was brutal. And the headaches, you would just get headaches and be like ‘chill, bro.”
“I never was a list guy before this…my memory has, I guess, faded since then. I can't really remember stuff. I guess really my short-term memory. People will tell me something, and I will forget it by the end of the day. So I guess now I am more of a list guy. It's how I remember things.”
“[I]f all the lights were on and they're (professors) talking, I was out. I was done. I couldn't focus because my head hurt so bad.”
“You never feel like you're making the right choice. Everything feels kind of new to you but familiar. You know it, but you can't remember it at the time. It was just with football plays or things with school, things I just recently learned. I guess those were the hard things to get used to.”
“I still have daily headaches and see a neurologist regularly. We're trying to figure out a combination of things that allow me to go out and do day-to-day activities without a headache or migraine. It's still a work in progress.”
As you can see, it is already difficult to resume learning post-concussion even when the concussions are diagnosed and students can receive accommodations to help their treatment process. This can only mean there is a much greater difficulty for those with undiagnosed concussions as they don’t have the same accommodations as those with diagnosed concussions do. Instead, they continue to go to class and try to push through concussion symptoms but may be met with poor grades, or incur enmity from teachers because they are forced to close their eyes during class for respite from the bright lights or display other forms of coping with their symptoms that are perceived as disengagement. For a non-athlete student, a teacher may take slipping grades or a distracted disposition as a sign a student is struggling with some outside factor causing them to do poorly in class. However, due to the dumb-jock stereotype and confirmation bias, seeing a student-athlete leaving class early or with their head in their arms on their desk will only reaffirm a teacher’s belief that student-athletes aren’t as intelligent and don’t try as hard. This could be a time for intervention, in which a teacher suspecting an outside issue speaks to the student to try and understand what is causing their behavior in class or changes in their grades. It would hopefully lead to a connection to the mild traumatic head injury that was previously ignored and allow for the proper diagnosis and treatment of the concussion. Instead, the concussion persists as do concussion-related disabilities.
In answering the question, what I wish my teacher knew about my disability, I sought to discuss a topic close to me and this certainly is. A close family member of mine faced similar treatment as a student-athlete. They developed a learning disability (LD) from an undiagnosed concussion that ultimately went untreated. For years they struggled in various classes but didn’t know why. However, an English teacher saw their determination to succeed but realized matters out of their control prevented them from doing so. In the end, they received the proper diagnoses for their LD and with necessary accommodations, were able to excel in subjects they previously had trouble with.
Teachers spend such a large amount of time with their students that it is likely they will notice when a student who was previously excited to learn and engaged during class begins to seem disconnected. However, if unconscious biases (i.e., the dumb jock stereotype) prevent teachers from noticing such a change has occurred, work must be done to overcome our belief in such stereotypes, beginning with raising awareness about them and their consequences. In Not A Dumb Jock, the message is not only directed at teachers in terms of how they can create a learning environment that is suited for everyone, including those with disabilities. The message transcends the goal of What I Wish My Teacher Knew About My disability as it is also aimed at student-athletes who may be dealing with a disability following an undiagnosed concussion but are unaware of it.
Please feel free to start a discussion in the comments about your thoughts on the ideas presented in this series of posts. Additionally, consider talking about this with those around you as we can all benefit from new information that may help to overcome confirmation bias and eradicate unfair stereotypes.
Works Cited
1 Casad, Bettina J. “Confirmation Bias.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 9 Oct. 2019, www.britannica.com/science/confirmation-bias.
2 Cover, Rebecca, et al. “The Lived Experiences of Retired Collegiate Athletes With a History of 1 or More Concussions.” Journal of Athletic Training (Allen Press), vol. 53, no. 7, July 2018, pp. 646–656. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=131692456&site=ehost-live.
3 Daneshvar, Daniel H et al. “Long-term consequences: effects on normal development profile after concussion.” Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America vol. 22,4 (2011): 683-700, ix. doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2011.08.009
4 Peters, U. What Is the Function of Confirmation Bias?. Erkenn (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10670-020-00252-1
5 Simons, Herbert D., et al. “The Athlete Stigma in Higher Education.” College Student Journal, vol. 41, no. 2, June 2007, pp. 251–273. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2007-07102-001&site=ehost-live.
6 Talavage, Thomas M et al. “Functionally-detected cognitive impairment in high school football players without clinically-diagnosed concussion.” Journal of Neurotrauma vol. 31,4 (2014): 327-38. doi:10.1089/neu.2010.1512