Toward a Multidimensional Model of Athletes’ Commitment to Coach-Athlete Relationships and Interdependent Sport Teams: A Substantive-Methodological Synergy

Abstract

Drawing from a three-factor model of organizational commitment, we sought to provide validity evidence for a multidimensional conceptualization designed to capture adolescent athletes’ commitment to their coach–athlete relationship or their team. In Study 1, 335 individual-sport athletes (Mage = 17.32, SD = 1.38) completed instruments assessing affective, normative, and continuance commitment to their relationship with their coach, and in Study 2, contextually modified instruments were administered to assess interdependent-sport athletes’ (N = 286, Mage = 16.31, SD = 1.33) commitment to their team. Bayesian structural equation modeling revealed support for a three-factor (in comparison with a single-factor) model, along with relations between commitment dimensions and relevant correlates (e.g., satisfaction, return intentions, cohesion) that were largely consistent with theory. Guided by recent advancements in Bayesian modeling, these studies provide a new commitment instrument with the potential for use and refinement in team- and relationship-based settings and offer preliminary support for a conceptual framework that may help advance our understanding of the factors underpinning individuals’ engagement in sport.

A multistudy examination of organizational stressors, emotional labor, burnout, and turnover in sport organizations

“…To determine why some individuals remain in their organization despite showing signs of burnout and stating turnover intentions, there is a need to examine sport-related attitudes, such as commitment, identity, and engagement. Indeed, Jackson et al 56 found organizational commitment mediated attrition rates in adolescent groups in sport. In the same study, Jackson et al 56 developed a sport-specific measure of organizational commitment providing an excellent opportunity for future research to understand engagement, and intentions to turnover or actual turnover in sport organizations.…”

“…Indeed, Jackson et al 56 found organizational commitment mediated attrition rates in adolescent groups in sport. In the same study, Jackson et al 56 developed a sport-specific measure of organizational commitment providing an excellent opportunity for future research to understand engagement, and intentions to turnover or actual turnover in sport organizations. 2 The findings reported here suggest that emotional labor has significant explanatory potential for psychosocial dynamics and outcomes in sport, specifically, that surface acting is likely to lead to negative outcomes such as burnout and turnover intentions.…”

Using self-determination theory to understand motivation for walking: Instrument development and model testing using Bayesian structural equation modelling

“…For the present study, established measures of behavioural regulations and psychological need satisfaction were adapted for the domain of walking behaviour and their hypothesised factor structures were tested using Bayesian structural equation modelling (BSEM; Muthén and Asparouhov, 2012). BSEM for the assessment of factorial validity is only just beginning to appear in the sport and exercise psychology literature (Barnett et al, in press;Gucciardi & Jackson, 2015;Gucciardi, Peeling, Ducker, & Dawson, 2014;Jackson, Gucciardi, & Dimmock, 2014;Stenling, Ivarsson, Johnson, & Lindwall, in press) but is not yet widely adopted.…”

The development of mental toughness in adolescents: utilising established theories

“…Bayesian analysis is an approach that has garnered the interests of sport and exercise psychology researchers in recent years (Doron & Gaudreau, 2014;Jackson, Gucciardi, & Dimmock, 2014). This approach leverages off theory and previous research to form a prior distribution -a combination of the specific magnitude and variability of effect sizes.…”

“…Bayesian estimation has begun to garner the interests of researchers in the social sciences as a meaningful alternative to traditional methods (van de Schoot et al, 2014). By employing Bayesian estimation protocols in my thesis, I have contributed to the handful of other studies in sport psychology that have used these methods (e.g., Doron & Gaudreau, 2014;Jackson et al, 2014), and promoted the continued use of such approaches in the future. I share the opinion of some statisticians who believe that Bayesian estimation protocols will become the dominant statistical approach in the future (van de Schoot et al, 2014), as it services social science research better than traditional methods (e.g., null-hypothesis testing).…”