Effects of a Motivational Climate on Psychological Needs Satisfaction, Motivation and Commitment in Teen Handball Players

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jul 29;16(15):2702. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16152702.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the motivational climate created by the coach and perceived by a group of young high-performance handball players on their sport motivation, self-determination, sport psychological needs and sport commitment. The study participants were 479 young handball players. The age range was 16-17 years old. Players were administered a battery composed of a Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire, Sport Motivation Scale, the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale and Sport Commitment Questionnaire to measure the above-mentioned theoretical constructs. Results showed that the handball players showed high levels of a task-involving climate, of basic psychological needs satisfaction and of self-determined motivation and commitment. Higher levels of basic psychological needs such as autonomy and competence were associated with a higher task-involving climate, self-determined index and sport commitment (task-involving climate-basic psychological needs (β = 0.55; 95% IC 0.387/0.682; p = 0.001); Ego-involving climate-basic psychological needs (β = 0.06; 95% IC -0.069/0.181; p = 0.387); Basic psychological needs-self-determined index (β = 0.48; 95% IC 0.376/0.571; p = 0.001); Self-determined index-commitment (β = 0.58; 95% IC 0.488/0.663; p = 0.001). The obtained model showed that basic psychological needs mediated the association between a task-involving climate and self-determination, and self-determination mediated the association between basic psychological needs satisfaction and commitment.

Keywords: Coach; performance; self-determined motivation; sports adherence; team sports.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Climate
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motivation*
  • Personal Autonomy
  • Personal Satisfaction*
  • Sports / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires