Predictive Strength of Contextual and Personal Variables in Soccer Players’ Goal Orientations

Psychological variables, such as perceived motivational climate, goal orientation, self-determined motivation, and personality, have an influence on sports success performance. This study aimed to examine the relationships among a set of psychological variables (perceived motivational climate, goal orientation, self-determined motivation, and personality) in male and female footballers. Participants were 167 footballers (106 male, 61 female), aged 12 to 26, competing with clubs in the Spanish Football League. They all took four questionnaires aimed at evaluating motivational climate, goal orientations, self-determined motivation, and personality. The analyses of correlation and regression showed statistically significant relations among the variables. Neuroticism and psychoticism negatively relate to mastery motivational climate, the best predictor of self-determined motivation. It was concluded that contextual variables carry more weight in predicting goal orientations and self-determined motivation among participant footballers.

A Mastery Motivational Climate-Based Service-Learning Program: Physical and Psychosocial Benefits Among Underserved Children

We explored children’s physical activity level and psychosocial outcomes in a service-learning program. The program, taught by preservice physical educators, engages children in fun activities within a mastery motivational climate (MMC). Forty-two children in grades K–4 wore accelerometers during two 90-min sessions, resulting in 84 data points. Forty-three children age 8 and up completed a postprogram survey assessing motivational climate, perceived competence, and personal and social responsibility. Of those, 27 completed a presurvey as well. On average, children were engaged in light activity for 38.6% and moderate-to-vigorous activity for 26.0% of the program time. Social responsibility improved from pre- to postassessment. Children perceived a high MMC, and regression analyses showed that MMC was positively related to perceived competence, personal responsibility, and social responsibility at the end of the program. Results suggest this program was effective in using an MMC to promote social responsibility while engaging students in light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity.

Differences in Preschool Boys’ and Girls’ Overhand Throwing Practice Behaviors During a Mastery Motivational Climate

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which preschool boys’ and girls’ gender and skill level relate to their throwing practice behaviors during a mastery motivational climate intervention. Fifty-four preschool children (24 boys, 30 girls) participated in a 7-week FMS intervention. Children’s practice behaviors (number of visits, total time, and total trials) at the overhand throwing station were video recorded during each session. A series of unpaired Welch assessments were run to determine if there were differences in practice behaviors across the intervention based on gender and initial skill level. Results indicated significant differences in practice time and trials based on gender and skill level, but no differences in the number of visits. It appears that throwing gender stereotypes perhaps may be related to practice behaviors for young children. Interventions should consider ways to make throwing more enticing for young girls and less skilled children to encourage practice and enhance learning.

Knowledge Hiding Behaviors and Team Creativity: The Contingent Role of Perceived Mastery Motivational Climate

The present study explains how different factors of knowledge hiding (e.g., evasive, playing dumb, and rationalized) influence on team creativity. Drawn on social exchange theory, the present study theorizes that factors of knowledge hiding have a negative relationship with team creativity, and absorptive capacity mediates this relationship. In addition, the perceived mastery motivational climate (PMMC) as a moderator attenuates the negative relationship between factors of knowledge hiding and team creativity. Study 1, an investigation (through the experience sampling method) from 41 participants of social media, confirms the existence of knowledge hiding practices in Pakistan. Study 2 applied a partial least squares, structural equation modeling approach on randomly selected time lag data of 282 respondents from state-owned universities of Pakistan. Results show that evasive hiding and playing dumb have a significant negative relationship with team creativity; however, rationalized hiding does not affect significantly on team creativity. The absorptive capacity also does not mediate the relationship between factors of knowledge hiding and team creativity. The PMMC attenuates the negative influence of evasive hiding and playing dumb on team creativity; however, the PMMC does not moderate the influence of rationalized hiding on team creativity. The implications and future research directions are discussed in the last section of this study.

Coaching Behavior and Effectiveness in Sport and Exercise Psychology

Coaches occupy a central role in sport, fulfilling instructional, organizational, strategic, and social relationship functions, and their relationships with athletes influence both skill development and psychosocial outcomes of sport participation. This review presents the major theoretical models and empirical results derived from coaching research, focusing on the measurement and correlates of coaching behaviors and on intervention programs designed to enhance coaching effectiveness. A strong empirical literature on motor skill development has addressed the development of technical sport skills, guided in part by a model that divides the skill acquisition process into cognitive, associative, and autonomous phases, each requiring specific coaching knowledge and instructional techniques. Social-cognitive theory’s mediational model, the multidimensional model of sport leadership, achievement goal theory, and self-determination theory have been highly influential in research on the psychosocial aspects of the sport environment. These conceptual models have inspired basic research on the antecedents and consequences of defined coaching behaviors as well as applied research on coach training programs designed to enhance athletes’ sport outcomes. Of the few programs that have been systematically evaluated, outcomes such as enjoyment, liking for coach and teammates, team cohesion, self-esteem, performance anxiety, athletes’ motivational orientation, and sport attrition can be influenced in a salutary fashion by a brief intervention with specific empirically derived behavioral guidelines that focus on creating a mastery motivational climate and positive coach-athlete interactions. However, other existing programs have yet to demonstrate efficacy in controlled outcome research.

Motivational climate, goal orientation and exercise adherence in fitness centers and personal training contexts

This study was conducted to analyze the relationships hypothesized by the Achievement Goal Theory in predicting adherence to exercise. The study participants were 405 individuals exercising in fitness centers with a mean age of 35 years (SD = 17) and 183 individuals exercising with personal trainers with a mean age of 43 years (SD = 16), that answered the Portuguese versions of the Goal Orientation in Exercise Measure and Perceived Motivational Climate in Exercise Questionnaire. The hypothesized structural equation model showed that the mastery motivational climate had a positive impact on task orientation goals, which in turn had a positive impact on exercise adherence. However, performance motivational climate had a positive impact on ego orientation goals, which in turn had a negative impact on exercise adherence.