title: A program to support self-efficacy among athletes.
abstract: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a proprietary program for increasing self-efficacy among track and field athletes through vicarious experience and successful control over excitation and to determine the changes in the cognitive dimensions related to self-efficacy: dispositional optimism, hope of success and locus of control. An experimental two-group design with a pre-test and a post-test in the experimental and control groups was used. Forty-two athletes (29 women and 13 men) aged 17 to 24 years randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups took part in the study. The General Scale of Self-Efficacy, Hope for Success Questionnaire, Life Orientation Test Revised, and Internal-External Locus of Control Scale were used. The study's results indicate that the program was effective. Participants in the intervention group demonstrated a substantial increase in self-efficacy (P = 0.001). This was not observed in the control group (P = 0.732). After the completion of the program, athletes in the intervention group had significantly higher levels of self-efficacy (P = 0.001) and optimism (P = 0.017). They also had more internal locus of control compared to the control group (P = 0.001). Contrary to expectations, athletes in the intervention group demonstrated a substantially lower level of propensity in pathways (P = 0.001) as well as in agency (P = 0.001) (both components of the hope for success).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Faculty of Physical Education, The Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zagórska
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guszkowska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology*; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D065026:Hope; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014142:Track and Field / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: intervention program; self-efficacy; track and field athletes