USING A DIRECT OBSERVATION METHODOLOGY TO STUDY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN ICE HOCKEY: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

The violent and aggressive nature of competitive ice hockey garners the sport a considerable amount of attention from various academic disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, physiology, anthropology). Yet, despite the comprehensive and multidimensional nature of these research efforts, our current understanding of aggressive behavior in ice hockey is still described as incomplete and unreliable (Coulomb & Pfister, 1998; Kirker, Tenenbaum, & Mattson, 2000; Stephens, 1998). Much of the criticism directed towards the aggression literature has been methodological in nature, which has subsequently forced researchers to seek out new methods of data collection, including the use of direct observation. The current manuscript critically assesses the utility of employing a direct observation design to study the etiology of aggressive behavior in ice hockey. The strengths, limitations, and hardships associated with employing a direct observation design are discussed within, as are recommendations to guide future research endeavors.