Identification the Relation between Active Basketball Classification Referees' Empathetic Tendencies and Their Problem Solving Abilities

This study aims to determine the relation between basketball classification referees' problem solving ability and empathetic tendencies. Research model of the study is relational screening model. Sampling of the study is constituted by 124 male and 18 female basketball classification referees who made active refereeing within Turkish Basketball Federation in 2015-2016 season. Personal information form, Problem Solving Inventory (PSI) which was developed by Heppner and Peterson [1] and Empathetic Tendency Scale (ETS) which was developed by Dökmen [2] were used as data collection tools. Data were analyzed by used SPSS Package Program. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to determine relations between variables. Kruskal Wallis, T-test and Mann-Whitney U Test were used to analyze differences according to the variables such as gender, classification year, education and classification of basketball referees. A positive significant difference was determined between basketball referees' empathetic tendencies and problem solving abilities (r = 0.170, p < 0.05). When educational level is considered, a significant difference was determined in empathy total scores in favor of master degree referees (U = 1041.50, p < 0.05). Any significant difference was not found between basketball referees' problem solving abilities and total score of empathetic tendencies and their gender, classification year and classification variables. Again, any significant difference was not found between totals scores of problem solving ability and the variable of educational level.