Hickman explained that she was intrigued by the lack of understanding of the motivations behind an athlete's inappropriate behavior. "What are these guys thinking?" she asked the audience emphatically after describing a typical case of a collegiate athlete who performs extraordinarily well on the field only to cheat in a class, fail and lose his scholarship.
Hickman was curious about this phenomenon and decided to study it in the NFL. "A closer consideration of the individual athlete within the context of the culture of athletics may provide a more comprehensive working model of the dynamics," she said.
There are several risk factors for impulsivity, Hickman said, such as being raised in a violent environment where impulsivity aids in survival. When in panic mode, one does not consider the consequences of his or her actions.
Athletics are replete with impulsive individuals; however, all impulsivity is not always a bad trait. Hickman stated that impulsivity can be divided into two subgroups: dysfunctional and functional. It is necessary and functionally beneficial to feel impulsive in certain situations. In her research, Hickman determined that, overall, NFL players are moderately impulsive.
In order to explain the difference between proper and improper actions, Hickman relied upon the notorious incident from a 2001 New York Jets-New Orleans Saints football game in which offensive lineman Kyle Turley ripped off the helmet of an opposing player and threw it across the field after an on-field altercation. When viewed from one angle, it appeared that Turley had acted in a wholly dysfunctional manner, outside the permissive actions allowed in the NFL. Viewed from another angle, it became clear that Turley was acting in his role as an offensive lineman, struggling to protect his own quarterback, whose head had been repeatedly jerked sideways.
Hickman indicated that she felt that Turley's actions were functionally impulsive in his role but that they stepped over the line when he threw his opponent's helmet, as he was no longer protecting his quarterback.
In a post-event interview that Hickman showed, Turley explained his behavior as conforming to his role on the team. Turley also explained an interesting perception of athletes, which Hickman's research confirmed, that people expect athletes to be the same player both on and off the field. When on the field, however, players have a unique mind set instilled in them by their coaches that they are engaged in battle with the other team. This dichotomy must be overcome by the player.
Rachel Holt '05, a quad-captain of the women's tennis team, enjoyed the lecture. "I was very impressed with the turnout, especially given the snow, and I think many psychology majors, athletes and other students and members of the college community really enjoyed her talk," she said.