The Role of Dispositional Orientations and Goal Motives on Athletes’ Well- and Ill-Being

Findings in different contexts suggest that task orientation and ego orientation are related to adaptive and maladaptive motivational patterns, respectively. In sport, these personal dispositions could influence other important variables such as the goals that athletes pursue (and why they pursue them) during the season and their well- and ill-being. The main purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between athletes’ dispositional goal orientations, their goal motives, and their reported well-being (subjective vitality) and ill-being (physical and emotional exhaustion). The study involved 414 Spanish university athletes (206 female and 208 male) with an age range of 17 to 33 years (M = 20.61; SD = 2.58) that completed a package of questionnaires at the beginning of the season. Results of path analysis revealed that athletes’ task orientation was negatively associated to physical and emotional exhaustion indirectly through autonomous and controlled goal motives. In contrast, ego orientation was positively related to physical and emotional exhaustion via its link to controlled goal motives. Athletes’ task orientation directly and positively predicted subjective vitality, even though goal motives were not significant mediators. These findings support previous evidence about the protective role of athletes’ task orientation, in contrast to ego orientation, confirming its positive relationship with well-being and its negative one with ill-being. Additionally, it extends the knowledge regarding interdependencies between goal orientations and goal motives and how both contribute to athletes’ optimal or compromised functioning.

INDIVIDUALISM, COLLECTIVISM, AND GOAL ORIENTATION FOR ATHLETES FROM INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM SPORTS

In the last years, the issue concerning individualism and collectivism in sport has increasingly attracted researchers’ attention. The relation between individualism-collectivism and performance has been surveyed (Cox et al., 1991, Mann, 1980, Wagner, 1995), the stability of teamwork (Kiffin-Petersen & Cordey, 2003, Kirkman, 1996, Kirkman & Shapiro, 2001), team performance (Karsh, 1984, Smith, 1984). This study aimed to examine individualism and collectivism and their relation to goal orientation among athletes with different levels of qualification practicing six different kinds of sport. The research was done among 160 athletes practicing six sports – three (3) team sports and three (3) individual sports. To fulfill the aim of the research, we used: 1. Scale for measuring the horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism INDCOL of Singelis, Triandism Bhawuk, & Gelfand, 1995; 2. Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire – TEOSQ, Duda & Nicholls, adapted for Bulgarian conditions by Domuschieva-Rogleva, 2003. 3. Psychological Collectivism Measure – Jackson et аl., 2006. We established significant differences among competitors practicing individual and team sports and differences depending on the qualification, club affiliation, gender. The influence of individualism and collectivism on goal orientation in sport was revealed.

Values, motivational orientation and team cohesion amongst youth soccer players

There is a close link between moral education and sports activities. A well-organized sport can be an excellent means of transferring positive values to children and adolescents, which can influence motivation and group processes. This study aimed to analyse (a) the relationships between social, personal and individualistic values, motivational orientation and team cohesion amongst young soccer players and (b) compare differences in these variables between players competing in different age categories. Our participant sample comprised 401 male soccer players of Spanish teams (mean age = 14.64 years) competing in official competitive leagues, of five age categories, Under-10 years to Under-19. All participants responded to three instruments: the Values Scale for Positive Adolescent Development, the Perception of Success Questionnaire and the Group Environment Questionnaire. Correlation and regression, and analysis of differences between categories were performed. The results confirm that personal values are mainly related to task orientation, and individualistic values to ego orientation. The values of responsibility, integrity and honesty were the best predictors of task orientation, and social recognition and hedonism predict ego orientation. Honesty and responsibility were the main predictors of both task and social cohesion. Younger players showed a higher level of social values, task orientation and social cohesion, while older players show higher individualistic values and ego orientation. Implications for research or practice are discussed.

An Investigation of Relationship Between Alexithymia and Ego-Oriented Levels of Students at The Faculty of Sports Sciences

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate of students sport science faculty relationship between on their alexithymia status and ego-oriented goals levels to compare them according to different demographic variables. Methods: For data collection, “Alexithymia Scale” was used which was developed by Bagby et al. 5 and was adapted to turkish by Güleç et al. 6 For data collection, “Task and Ego Oriented Scale” was used which was developed by Duda. 7 and was adapted to turkish by Toros and Yetim 8 to 416 participants in total consisting of 138 female and 278 male students. For data analysis, through SPSS statistical packet program, frequency analysis, desciptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, one-way anova, tukey, pearson correlation analyze were performed. Results: A highly significant negative correlation was found between the participants' ego orientation averages and their alexithymia averages. (r= -.826, p<0.01). Conclusion: According to this; As the participants' alexithymia levels increased, their ego orientation decreased; in other words, it was concluded that as ego orientations increased, alexithymia levels decreased. Keywords: Alexithymia, Ego-oriented, Physical Educaiton, Sport.

An Investigation of Relationship Between Alexithymia and Ego-Oriented Levels of Students at The Faculty of Sports Sciences

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate of students sport science faculty relationship between on their alexithymia status and ego-oriented goals levels to compare them according to different demographic variables. Methods: For data collection, “Alexithymia Scale” was used which was developed by Bagby et al. 5 and was adapted to turkish by Güleç et al. 6 For data collection, “Task and Ego Oriented Scale” was used which was developed by Duda. 7 and was adapted to turkish by Toros and Yetim 8 to 416 participants in total consisting of 138 female and 278 male students. For data analysis, through SPSS statistical packet program, frequency analysis, desciptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, one-way anova, tukey, pearson correlation analyze were performed. Results: A highly significant negative correlation was found between the participants' ego orientation averages and their alexithymia averages. (r= -.826, p<0.01). Conclusion: According to this; As the participants' alexithymia levels increased, their ego orientation decreased; in other words, it was concluded that as ego orientations increased, alexithymia levels decreased. Keywords: Alexithymia, Ego-oriented, Physical Educaiton, Sport.

Η επίδραση του προσανατολισμού στόχου, της αθλητικής ταυτότητας και των συναισθημάτων στην αθλητική συμπεριφορά μαθητών σε μαθητικούς αγώνες

Ο αθλητισμός ως κοινωνικό φαινόμενο και εκδήλωση συμπεριφοράς, καλλιεργεί κοινωνικές και ηθικές αξίες, των οποίων τα χαρακτηριστικά που προωθεί, εξαρτώνται στενά από το πώς διδάσκονται και εφαρμόζονται τα διάφορα αθλήματα.Σκοπός της μελέτης αυτής είναι να εξετασθεί η επίδραση του προσανατολισμού στόχου, της αθλητικής ταυτότητας και των συναισθημάτων στην αθλητική συμπεριφορά των μαθητών. Επίσης να διερευνηθεί η ύπαρξη πιθανών διαφορών στις εξεταζόμενες μεταβλητές σε σχέση με το γένος. Για την διεξαγωγή της έρευνας 156 μαθητές και μαθήτριες (86 αγόρια και 70 κορίτσια με μ.ο ηλικίας 16,5 χρόνων) συμπλήρωσαν τρία ερωτηματολόγια το Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TESOSQ; Duda & Nicholls, 1992), το Competative Aggressiveness and Anger Scale (CAAS; Maxwell & Moores, 2007), το Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS; Brewer & Cornelius 2001 ), και τo Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior (Kavussanu, 2006).Η στατιστική επεξεργασία των δεδομένων πραγματοποιήθηκε με τη χρήση του στατιστικού προγράμματος SPSS 17. Όλες οι κλίμακες είχαν υψηλό βαθμό εσωτερικής συνοχής.Από τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας φάνηκε ότι συμφωνούν με αυτά παλαιοτέρων ερευνών ότι τα κίνητρα, η αθλητική ταυτότητα και τα συναισθήματα επιδρούν καθοριστικά στην αθλητική συμπεριφορά σύμφωνα με την ανάλυση παλινδρόμησης. Ως προς το γένος, τα παραπάνω αποτελέσματα επιβεβαιώνουν προηγούμενες έρευνες οι οποίες βρήκαν διαφορές, με τα αγόρια να εμφανίζουν περισσότερες αρνητικές αθλητικές συμπεριφορές σε σχέση με τα κορίτσια, στο χώρο του αθλητισμού σύμφωνα με το Student t-test.

The relationship between motivation, perceived Motivational Climate, Task and Ego Orientation, and Perceived Coach Autonomy in young ice hockey players

Background: This study is grounded in the theory of self-determination, the achievement goal theory, and the theory of perceived motivational climate. The goal of the study was to examine the relationships among perceived coach autonomy, motivation, task and ego orientation, and the perceived motivational climate in young ice hockey players. Material and methods: The participants included 401 ice hockey players aged 14–18 years old. To calculate the power of prediction between the independent variable “perceived autonomy from the coach”, all 6 factors of motivation in the self-determination theory (SDT) and the goal orientation we conducted two path diagrams: one where task environment was the dependent variable and one with ego environment as the dependent variable. Between these factors and goal orientation among the players and the dependent variables, a hierarchical regression analysis was employed. Results: We found that high perceived autonomy support from the coach positively influences motivation in junior hockey players. Players who perceive autonomy support from their coach have a higher chance of scoring highly for autonomic regulation, according to self-determination theory. Conclusions: This probably leads to more task-oriented players who create a more task-oriented environment, hopefully resulting in fewer players dropping out of the sport.

The Relationship of Competitive Cognitive Anxiety and Motor Performance: Testing the Moderating Effects of Goal Orientations and Self-Efficacy Among Chinese Collegiate Basketball Players

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effects of goal orientations and self-efficacy between competitive cognitive anxiety and motor performance under conditions featuring different levels of ego-threat. Eighty-one (40 females) collegiate-level basketball players (M age = 20.26 years and SD = 2.68) completed Sport Competitive Anxiety Test, Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire, and General Self-Efficacy Scale prior to the experiment. Athletes participated in two sessions of free-throw tasks. After the first session, which was under a control condition, participants performed in a free-throw competitive session while being provided opponents’ scores that induced different levels of competitive cognitive anxiety. Performance is defined as the accuracy (%) in two free-throw sessions. A hierarchical multiple regression showed that high level of task-orientation and low level of ego-orientation can buffer the impairment of competitive cognitive anxiety on motor performance. The relationship between competitive cognitive anxiety and motor performance did not vary with self-efficacy. An a repeated-measured analysis of covariance after cluster analysis revealed that a high-task/low-ego profile benefited athletes the most regarding the impairment of competitive cognitive anxiety. Together, ego- and task-orientations and “goal profile” moderate the relationship between competitive cognitive anxiety and motor performance; however, self-efficacy may not serve as a moderator variable in between.