Perfectionism,burnout and engagement in youth sport: The mediating role of basic psychological needs

Recent research indicates perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings share divergent associations with athlete burnout and athlete engagement. Guided by self-determination theory, the present study examined whether these associations were explained by basic psychological needs. Youth athletes (n = 222, M age = 16.01, SD = 2.68) completed measures of multidimensional perfectionism, athlete burnout, athlete engagement, basic psychological need satisfaction and thwarting. Structural equation modelling revealed that basic psychological need satisfaction and thwarting mediated the perfectionism–engagement and perfectionism–burnout relationships. Perfectionistic concerns shared a negative relationship (via need satisfaction) with athlete engagement and a positive relationship (via need satisfaction and thwarting) with athlete burnout. In contrast, perfectionistic strivings shared a positive relationship (via need satisfaction) with athlete engagement and a negative relationship (via need satisfaction and thwarting) with athlete burnout. The findings highlight the role of basic psychological needs in explaining the differential associations that perfectionistic concerns and strivings share with athlete burnout and engagement.     

Predicting moral attitudes and antisocial behavior in young team sport athletes: A self‐determination theory perspective

Identifying the factors associated with prosocial and antisocial behaviors in youth sport may provide evidence to inform interventions aimed at promoting prosocial behaviors and minimizing rule transgressions in young athletes. We investigated relations among social‐contextual factors (e.g., social support), personal motivational factors (e.g., psychological need satisfaction and motivation), young athletes’ attitudes toward prosocial (e.g., keeping winning in proportion) and antisocial (e.g., acceptance of cheating and gamesmanship) behaviors, and their actual rule violations during matches in two samples of athletes. Participants in Sample 1 were young team sport athletes (N = 355) and participants in Sample 2 were young male futsal players (N = 296). Athletes in Sample 1 completed validated self‐report measures of perceived autonomy support, basic need satisfaction, and autonomous and controlled motivation from self‐determination theory, moral attitudes, and past cheating behaviors. Athletes in Sample 2 completed identical measures and two additional behavioral measures: athletes’ self‐reported number of yellow cards received during competition in the last 6 months and the number of yellow cards athletes received from referees in the subsequent 2 months from competition records. We found significant relations between psychological need satisfaction and self‐determined motivation, and athletes’ moral attitudes in both samples. These effects held when statistically controlling for past behavior. Importantly, our prospective analysis of Sample 2 indicated that attitudes toward antisocial behaviors predicted athletes’ rule violations during subsequent tournament matches. Findings indicate that promoting autonomous motivation and need satisfaction through autonomy support may foster attitudes toward prosocial behaviors, and minimize rule transgressions, in young athletes.     

The influence of perceived parental responsiveness on athletes’ goal accomplishment,trait cognitive sport anxiety,and thriving: A semi-longitudinal study

The purpose of this study was to examine temporally distal influence at a three-month interval of perceived parental responsiveness on athletes’ goal accomplishment, trait cognitive sport anxiety, and thriving. Young players (154 males, 51 females, M = 12.50 years, SD = 0.65) involved in rugby, basketball, and handball participated in the study. Initially, participants set three goals to accomplish over the next three months and completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of their parents’ responsiveness, perceived self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Three months later, participants completed questionnaires assessing their goal accomplishment, worry about sport performance, and thriving. The results showed that athletes’ perceptions of their mother’s/father’s responsiveness, mediated by perceived athletes’ self-efficacy to accomplish their goals, influenced their goal accomplishment and trait cognitive sport anxiety three months later. The results also showed that athletes’ perceptions of their mother’s/father’s responsiveness, mediated by athletes’ self-esteem, influenced athletes’ thriving and trait cognitive sport anxiety three months later. Overall, the present study uniquely contributes to the understanding of parent-athlete relationships by showing that athletes’ perceptions of their mother’s and father’s responsiveness influence certain distal outcomes three months later (i.e., goal accomplishment, sports anxiety, and thriving) while mediated by self-efficacy and self-esteem.     

Effect of parent responsiveness on young athletes’ self-perceptions and thriving: An exploratory study in a Belgian French-Community

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine the influence of parental responsive support (observed) and perceived parental responsive support on athletes’ self-perceptions and thriving.MethodsForty-one French-speaking Belgian individual sport athletes aged 12–15 years (M = 13.13, SD = 0.90) and one of their parent’s spent 10 min discussing three important athletes’ sport-related goals for the next season. The discussion was video-taped and coded to identify parents’ responsive support behaviors. After the discussion, athletes responded to a series of questionnaires measuring perceived parental responsiveness, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and thriving indicators (i.e., positive affect, vitality, life satisfaction, and health quality).ResultsThe results show that observed and perceived parental responsive support contributed to athletes’ proximal perceptions of self-efficacy. Both parental observed responsive support and athletes’ perceived parental responsiveness, mediated by athletes’ self-efficacy, were positively related to athlete’s self-esteem. Further, athletes’ perceived parental responsiveness was positively related with thriving while mediated in series by self-efficacy and self-esteem.ConclusionOverall, it appears that parents’ responsive support (observed) and athletes’ perception of responsive support are associated with positive self-perceptions and optimal wellbeing in young athletes. This study demonstrates that parents can provide responsive support to their children in the sport context. These results add further weight to suggestions that sport organizations should actively include, rather than exclude, parents in their processes.     

Psychosocial determinants of young athletes' continued participation over time

The aim of this study was to examine the differences in psychosocial and motivational variables between persistent and dropout youth athletes and between groups with different years in training. Team and individual youth athletes completed questionnaires measuring autonomy support from parents and coaches, peer motivational climate, basic psychological needs satisfaction, and sport motivation. The results showed that athletes who dropped out perceived significantly less competence, relatedness, and autonomy need satisfaction, and they perceived less autonomy support from parents and were less intrinsically motivated than persistent athletes. Youth athletes with up to one year in training reported significantly lower effort and intra-team conflict with peers, relatedness need satisfaction, and external motivation than athletes with 1 to 3 years and >3 years in training. Findings extend knowledge of the psychosocial determinants of sport continuation behaviour among young athletes.     

Cohesiveness, coach's interpersonal style and psychological needs: Their effects on self-determination and athletes' subjective well-being

GoalThe goal of this study was to test the impact of cohesiveness and coaches' controlling interpersonal style on athletes' perceptions of autonomy, competence and relatedness. A contextual motivation sequence [Vallerand, R. J. (1997). Toward a hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In M. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol. 29 (pp. 271–360). New York: Academic Press.] was tested whereby social factors supporting the satisfaction of basic needs would increase the level of sport self-determination, which in turn, should predict subjective well-being in athletes.MethodThe proposed sequence was tested with 197 basketball players using structural equation modeling. The hypothesized model was supported.ResultsPerceptions of cohesiveness positively predicted the satisfaction of the basic needs. Perceptions of coaches' controlling interpersonal style negatively impacted feelings of autonomy. In turn, psychological needs predicted self-determination in sports ensuing greater sport satisfaction and positive emotions in sports. Tests of indirect effects also supported the mediating role of psychological needs and self-determination.ConclusionResults are discussed in light of the different types of motivational antecedents and their influence on the psychological needs.     

Do individual differences in need strength moderate the relations between basic psychological need satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior?

An important theoretical debate in the literature on psychological needs concerns the potential moderating role of individuals’ need strength in the effects of basic psychological need satisfaction. The present study adds to the relatively small literature with inconsistent findings by examining whether the relations between work-related basic psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and organizational citizenship behavior (i.e., constructive voluntary job performance) are enhanced when employees’ work-specific explicit need strength increases. Survey data from two samples of employees in the United States (N = 353; M_Age = 38.13) and in the Netherlands (N = 298; M_Age = 44.57) consistently showed that across the need domains, need satisfaction was positively associated with organizational citizenship behavior through work engagement. However, we only found minor evidence for a moderating role of need strength. These findings largely endorse core self-determination theory assertions, as they underscore the relevance of employees’ psychological need satisfaction rather than fit between high psychological need satisfaction and high need strength in the workplace.

     

Perceived parental behaviours and motivational processes among adolescent athletes in intensive training centres: A profile approach

Parental behaviours influence athletes’ psychological functioning in different ways. To date, research has typically explored parental behaviours one by one, and few papers have simultaneously considered sets of parental behaviours. The objectives of this study were to: (a) identify parental behaviours using a person-centred approach and differentiating mother’s and father’s behaviours; (b) explore the changes of parental behaviour profiles across the season; and (c) examine the prospective impact of parental behaviour profiles at the beginning of the season on athlete scores of motivation, satisfaction, and frustration of basic psychological needs at the end of the season. A longitudinal two-wave measurement design (beginning and end of a season) was used in the study. A sample of 226 French athletes completed self-reported questionnaires: (a) at the beginning and end of the season to measure the behaviours of their parents; and (b) at the end of the season to assess their motivation, satisfaction, and frustration of basic psychological needs. Latent profile transition analysis revealed three parental behaviour profiles: (a) moderate parental involvement; (b) moderate to high parental involvement; and (c) moderate mother’s involvement and low father’s involvement. The profiles were based on associated patterns of four mother’s and father’s behaviours: (a) directive behaviours; (b) active involvement; (c) praise and understanding; and (d) pressure. The three parental behaviour profiles remained stable across the season (i.e., inter- and intra-individual stability). Athletes who reported the moderate parental involvement profile at the beginning of the season had lower scores of controlled motivation and frustration of autonomy as well as higher scores of satisfaction of competence and relatedness at the end of the season than their counterparts from the two other profiles. This study contributes to enriching the complex picture of parental involvement in the sport to help sport organisations identify parents at risk of impeding their child’s development.     

员工何以蓬勃旺盛?影响工作旺盛感的组织情境与理论模型

工作旺盛感是个体在工作中同时感受活力和学习一种心理状态。组织情境中领导、组织支持和公平、工作特征和同伴均影响工作旺盛感。基于特质激活和自我决定理论, 构建“组织情境影响工作旺盛感的心理机制”模型：“全景式”和“离散式”组织情境能直接影响基本心理需求的满足, 或者先激活特质, 再影响基本心理需求满足, 进而影响工作旺盛感。未来应加强“全景式”组织情境及其中介机制研究, 开展个体和组织情境变量以及社会层和任务层等多层次整合研究, 并运用动态研究方法研究组织情境与工作旺盛感之间的联动变化规律, 预测工作旺盛感。     

Autonomy support and control within mother-father parenting structures: A person-centered approach in youth sport

In the youth sport context, parents play an important role in the motivation of adolescent athletes. From a self-determination theory viewpoint, the provision of autonomy support versus control by parents is an essential part of this socialization process. The purpose of the present study was threefold: (a) identify distinct mother-father parenting profiles of autonomy support and control based on perceptions of adolescent athletes, (b) examine the unique influence of mother-father parenting profiles on adolescent athletes' motivational responses (i.e., parent-to-child effects), and (c) understand the contribution of adolescent athletes' motivation to the emergence of these mother-father parenting profiles (i.e., child-to-parent effects). To test our hypotheses, a person-centered approach (latent profile analysis) was employed to analyze data collected from a sample of high school athletes (N = 264; Mage = 15.7 years, 64% female). Results provided evidence supporting a four-profile solution: Strong Autonomy Support Dominant: Both Parents (n = 26, 9.8%), Weak Control Dominant: Both Parents (n = 111, 42.0%), Moderate Autonomy Support and Control: Both Parents (n = 21, 8.0%), and Weak Autonomy Support Dominant: Both Parents (n = 106, 40.2%). The four mother-father parenting profiles were found to be differentially predicted by, and predictive of, adolescent athletes' adaptive and maladaptive motivational responses (i.e., basic psychological needs satisfaction, autonomous and controlled motivation). This study illuminated a general pattern of congruency in the provision of autonomy support and control by parents within mother-father parenting structures and contributed empirical evidence pointing to the reciprocal nature of interpersonal processes in parent-athlete relationships.     

Life skills development in physical education: A self-determination theory-based investigation across the school term

ObjectivesGrounded in self-determination theory (SDT), the main aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal associations between teacher autonomy support, students’ basic psychological need satisfaction and life skills development in physical education (PE).DesignThis study employed a two-wave longitudinal research design.MethodStudents (N = 266, Mage = 12.94 years, SD = 0.70) completed measures assessing perceived autonomy-supportive teaching, need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and life skills development in PE (teamwork, goal setting, social skills, problem solving and decision making, emotional skills, leadership, time management, and interpersonal communication). Data collections took place during week 6 (timepoint 1; T1) and week 15 (timepoint 2; T2) of the autumn school term.ResultsCross-lagged panel analyses showed that T1 teacher autonomy support did not significantly predict students’ three basic psychological needs, total need satisfaction or life skills development at T2. Students’ T1 total need satisfaction positively predicted their development of all eight life skills at T2. Additionally, students’ T1 autonomy satisfaction positively predicted their teamwork, social skills, emotional skills, leadership, and interpersonal communication skills at T2, T1 competence satisfaction positively predicted students’ teamwork skills at T2, and students’ T1 relatedness satisfaction positively predicted their social skills at T2.ConclusionsProviding partial support for SDT, the findings highlighted that satisfaction of students’ three basic psychological needs had some positive effects on students’ life skills development in PE. As such, a climate that satisfies students’ basic psychological needs should help to develop their life skills in PE.     

Investigating discrepancies in program quality related to youth volleyball athletes’ needs support

Program quality has been outlined as an important predictor of positive outcomes in youth development programs; however, little evidence exists to support this, particularly within sport. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between researcher- and coach-assessed program quality scores as they relate to youth volleyball athletes’ basic needs support. Design: Observational data and self-report data were gathered from coaches and youth. Researchers completed 84 observations using a measure of program quality across 14 teams. Coaches completed the same measure at the end of the season and 138 athletes (M_age = 14.50) from the 14 teams completed a self-report questionnaire pertaining to needs support. Data were analyzed using polynomial regressions with response surface methodology. Results: Athletes’ needs support was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with all domains of researcher- and coach-assessed program quality (i.e., safe environment, supportive environment, interaction, engagement), and between 20 and 35% of the variance in athletes’ needs support was explained by these variables. The degree of discrepancy between researcher- and coach-assessed program quality increased when progressing through three domains of program quality (safe environment, supportive environment, engagement). Response surface methods indicated that as the degree of agreement increased between researchers’ and coaches’ ratings of the safety of the environment, supportiveness of the environment, and opportunities for engagement, so did athletes’ basic needs support scores in a linear fashion. Conclusions: Practical implications surrounding coach education and the importance of knowledge translation between academics and practitioners are noted, and future research directions are discussed.     

Children's active play imagery

ObjectiveThe purpose of the present study was to examine how children's use of imagery in their active play can facilitate Deci and Ryan's (2002) three basic psychological needs (i.e., competence, relatedness, and autonomy) in their active play. A secondary purpose was to examine the content of children's mental images associated with their active play.DesignFocus Groups.MethodOne hundred and four participants (male and female) aged 7–14 years old were recruited from various summer camps.ResultsThe results indicated children use active play imagery and their use of imagery facilitates the satisfaction of the three basic needs (i.e., imagery → behaviour → need satisfaction). With respect to autonomy, children imaged activities that are their favourite, enjoyable, and they do often. For relatedness they imaged friends, family, and others (e.g., professional athletes), while for competence they imaged themselves being good at the activity. Age and gender differences emerged for relatedness and competence. Furthermore, the content of children's images included when participants imaged as well as the speed of their images (i.e., slow motion, real time, or fast).ConclusionThese findings may enable the development of imagery interventions to increase children's motivation to be physically active.     

Exploring the Role of Sport Sense of Community in Perceived Athlete Burnout,Sport Motivation,and Engagement

The main purpose of this work was to examine the relationships between the sport sense of community, athlete burnout, engagement, and motivation in adolescent athletes, adopting a longitudinal perspective, and using both person- and variable-centred approaches. A total of 250 adolescent athletes were involved in the study. Athletes' perceptions of burnout, engagement and motivation significantly differed across two different clusters: high and low sport sense of community profiles. Consistent with our hypothesis, sport sense of community dimensions (i.e., satisfaction of needs and influence) negatively predicted athlete burnout and controlled motivation, and positively predicted engagement and autonomous motivation six months later.

Lay Summary: Athlete burnout is associated with negative consequences for athletes’ well-being, whereas engagement reflects a positive state. The sport sense of community refers to the athletes’ relationship with their sport environment. In this study, we provided preliminary evidence of the protective role of the sport sense of community on athlete burnout.     

Coaches' perceptions of athletes' stress-related growth following sport injury

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine coaches' perceptions of athletes' stress-related growth following sport injury.DesignQualitative inquiry, grounded in a post-positivism paradigm was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the study's objective.MethodA purposeful sample of eight coaches (M age = 45.7; SD = 11.2) were interviewed across different sports and competitive standards. The semi-structured life world interviews were analysed using content analysis, and two trustworthiness procedures were employed to bolster the rigour of the findings (i.e., peer-debriefing and member checking).ResultsFindings revealed four general dimensions of stress-related growth: personal growth (e.g., beliefs), psychological growth (e.g., sporting qualities), social growth (e.g., social support), and physical growth (e.g., strength). The coaches also reported a number of behavioural indicators that reflected the four general dimensions (e.g., health and performance).ConclusionsFindings ‘validate’ or provide coherence with athletes' self-reports of stress-related growth in previous research and also extend the literature by identifying a number of novel types of growth and perceived behavioural correlates. Future avenues of research include the need to conduct prospective studies and explore related concepts (e.g., vicarious stress-related growth).     

Perceived coach-autonomy support, basic need satisfaction and the well- and ill-being of elite youth soccer players: A longitudinal investigation

Objectives

Drawing from the basic needs theory [BNT; Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2002). An overview of self-determination theory. In E. L. Deci, & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 3-33). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press], the major purpose of the present study was to test a hypothesized sequence of temporal relationships between perceptions of coach-autonomy support, basic need satisfaction and indices of well- and ill-being. A subsidiary aim was to ascertain the assumed mediational role of basic need satisfaction in explicating the perceived autonomy support and well-/ill-being relationships over time.

Design

A field-based longitudinal design was employed.

Methods

Participants (N = 54 males) from an elite youth soccer academy in the UK completed a multi-section questionnaire tapping the targeted variables on six occasions across two competitive seasons.

Results

Multi-level regression analyses revealed that perceptions of coach-autonomy support positively predicted within-person changes and between-person mean differences in basic need satisfaction and well-being over time. Satisfaction scores for the needs for competence and relatedness were found to predict within-person changes in subjective vitality. These same needs partially mediated the coach-autonomy support-subjective vitality link over the two seasons.

Conclusions

The findings partially support the tenets of BNT, and are discussed in terms of their practical application to participants involved in an elite youth sport setting.     

独立、协同和平衡视角下的单维式基本心理需要满足

通过聚焦各需要满足(自主、归属或能力满足)间的“异质”性, 单维式基本心理需要满足的探索为基本心理需要满足研究的整体框架提供了重要补充。独立、协同和平衡视角下, 综述了单维式需要满足影响个体的理论基础(内部动机和内化的外部动机的心理机制)和研究现状; 提出并论述了三种需要满足的有限可替代性。未来研究应深化三种视角的需要满足研究、探索需要满足间的补偿效应、单维式需要满足的神经基础和单维式基本需要受阻等。     

Unhealthy weight control behaviours in adolescent girls: a process model based on self-determination theory

This study used self-determination theory (Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The ‘what’ and ‘why’ of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227–268.) to examine predictors of body image concerns and unhealthy weight control behaviours in a sample of 350 Greek adolescent girls. A process model was tested which proposed that perceptions of parental autonomy support and two life goals (health and image) would predict adolescents’ degree of satisfaction of their basic psychological needs. In turn, psychological need satisfaction was hypothesised to negatively predict body image concerns (i.e. drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction) and, indirectly, unhealthy weight control behaviours. The predictions of the model were largely supported indicating that parental autonomy support and adaptive life goals can indirectly impact upon the extent to which female adolescents engage in unhealthy weight control behaviours via facilitating the latter's psychological need satisfaction.     

Examining the role of psychological need satisfaction in sleep: A Self-Determination Theory perspective

Although ample research has shown the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as defined within Self-Determination Theory, to be related to well-being, the relation with sleep-related functioning has not yet been examined. Hence, the present study explored the association between basic psychological need satisfaction and subjective measures of sleep and daytime dysfunction, as well as the explanatory role of need satisfaction in the relation between mindfulness and financial strain and these outcomes, in an adult sample (N = 215, 61% female; Mean age = 31). The results indicated that low psychological need satisfaction related to poor sleep quality, lower sleep quantity, and more daytime dysfunction. Finally, mindfulness and financial strain related, respectively, negatively and positively to poor sleep quality and daytime dysfunction through need satisfaction, suggesting that need satisfaction represents a critical explanatory mechanism. The role of psychological need satisfaction in the adequate regulation and satisfaction of the physiological need for sleep is discussed.     

Autonomy support from parents and coaches: Synergistic or compensatory effects on sport-related outcomes of adolescent-athletes?

ObjectivesThis study examined how autonomy support from parents and autonomy support from coaches are associated with sport-related outcomes of adolescent-athletes. Two alternative hypotheses were proposed: (a) a synergistic socialization interaction in which high levels of autonomy support provided by parents and coaches are both needed to obtain the most positive sport-related outcomes, (b) a compensatory-protective interaction in which coaching autonomy support is more important for sport-related outcomes in athletes perceiving lower levels of parental autonomy support.DesignTwo studies using prospective designs.MethodStudy 1 was conducted with adolescent soccer players (N = 46) and Study 2 was conducted with gymnasts (N = 85). In both studies, athletes reported the extent to which they perceived their parents and coaches provided autonomy support. Athletes also completed scales assessing their motivation toward sport (Studies 1 and 2), situational motivation prior to and following a competition (Study 2), and need satisfaction (Study 1). Sport achievement and performance were also assessed in the form of goal attainment (Study 1), self-reported achievement following the competition (Study 2), and flow states (Study 2). Hierarchical moderated regressions were conducted in order to test our competing hypotheses.ResultsAnalyses provided support for the compensatory-protective interaction hypothesis. Coaching autonomy support was more strongly related to sport motivation, need satisfaction, sport achievement, and flow in athletes who perceived lower level of parental autonomy support.ConclusionsThis research program provided support for the study of the interactive effect of perceived autonomy support from distinct socialization agents (i.e., parents and coaches) and its impact on adolescent-athletes.