Intrapersonal Achievement Goals and Underlying Reasons among Long Distance Runners: Their Relation with Race Experience, Self-Talk, and Running Time

Abstract

In a sample of long distance runners, we examined the role of type of intrapersonal achievement goals (i.e., approach versus avoidance) and type of underlying reasons (i.e., autonomous and controlled), assessed prior to the race, as predictors of both pre-race (e.g., race appraisals) and post-race (e.g., flow experience) outcomes. Of 221 (62.4% males) runners, 111 reported pursuing an intrapersonal-approach goal (i.e., doing better than before) as their dominant or preferred achievement goal for the race, while 86 prioritized intrapersonal-avoidance goals (i.e., avoiding to perform worse than before). Regression and path analyses showed that the type of achievement goals predicted none of the outcomes except for running time, with approach goals predicting better performance when compared to avoidance goals. Path analyses revealed that autonomous reasons underlying intrapersonal goal pursuit related positively to pre-race challenge appraisals, performance and, via need satisfaction, to flow experience. Interestingly, controlled reasons positively related to pre-race threat appraisals and positively predicted both positive and negative self-talk, with both yielding opposing relations with flow. These findings complement past research on the intersection between the Achievement Goal Approach and Self-Determination Theory and highlight the value of studying the reasons underlying intrapersonal achievement goals.

La satisfacción de las necesidades psicológicas básicas en función de la formación y experiencia del deportista: características sociodeportivas

“…Actualmente, en el ámbito deportivo, los estudios realizados con el BNSSS están enfocados a relacionar las necesidades psicológicas básicas con diversas variables poco relacionadas con características demográficas o deportivas, como son: engagement y antipatía (Curran, Hill y Niemic, 2013;Curran, Hill, Hall y Jowett, 2014;Curran, Hill, Ntoumanis, Hall y Jowett, 2016); experiencia, diálogo interno y estado de flow (Delrue, Mouratidis, Haerens, de Muynck, Aelterman y Vansteenkiste, 2016); clima motivacional (Hodge y Gucciardi, 2015;Morela, Hatzigeorgiadis, Sanchez, Papaioannou y Elbe, 2017), autoridad del entrenador (Brinton, Hill y Ward, 2017); bienestar, metas de logro y conducta del entrenador (Healy, Ntoumanis, van Zanten y Paine, 2014;Pope y Wilson, 2014); perfeccionismo, burnout y engagement ; liderazgo y bienestar (Stenling y Tafvelin, 2014, Stenling, Lindwall y Hassmén, 2015; y, burnout (Li, Wang y Pyun , 2017), entre otros.…”

Strengthening the assessment of self‐talk in sports through a multi‐method approach

“…Because we expected both factors to be related, promax rotation was used. Inspection of the scree plot indicated that both a two‐ and three‐component solution were plausible.…”

“…When CFA is not feasible, PCA is believed to be a useful alternative method to identify the numbers of factors that should be interpreted. 39 Because we expected both factors to be related, 23 promax rotation was used. Inspection of the scree plot indicated that both a two-and three-component solution were plausible.…”

“…14,20 Negative self-talk, on the other hand, was related to reduced perseverance and poorer performance in a tennis exercise. 22 With respect to motivational outcomes, spontaneous negative self-talk related negatively to athletes' perceived competence, autonomy, 22 and flow experiences, 23 while being positively related to their boredom. 24 Positive self-talk showed a similar, yet opposite pattern of findings.…”

“…With respect to motivational outcomes, spontaneous negative self‐talk related negatively to athletes' perceived competence, autonomy, and flow experiences, while being positively related to their boredom . Positive self‐talk showed a similar, yet opposite pattern of findings.…”