Relationships among goal orientations, motivational climate and flow in adolescent athletes: differences by gender.
The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationships among perceived motivational climate, individuals' goal orientations, and dispositional flow, with attention to possible gender differences. A sample of 413 young athletes, ages 12 to 16 years, completed the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2 (PMCSQ-2) and Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ), as well as the Dispositional Flow Scale. Task orientation was positively and significantly related to a perceived task-involving motivational climate and to the disposition to experience flow in the sport. Ego orientation was positively and significantly associated with a perceived ego-involving motivational climate and with dispositional flow. The perceptions of task-involving and ego-involving motivational climates were positively and significantly linked to general dispositional flow. Multiple regression analysis indicated that both task and ego goal orientations and perceived task- and ego-oriented climates predicted dispositional flow. Males displayed a stronger ego orientation, and were more likely to report that they participated in an ego-oriented climate, than did females. To the contrary, the females were more likely to perceive a task-oriented climate than did the males. No meaningful differences were found between males and females in general dispositional flow.
Moreno Murcia
Juan Antonio
JA
Facultad de Ciencias del Deporte, Universidad de Murcia, San Javier, Murcia, Spain. morenomu@um.es
Cervelló Gimeno
Eduardo
E
González-Cutre Coll
David
D
D000293:Adolescent; D054874:Athletic Performance; D001290:Attitude; D002605:Character; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*