Open AccessAssociations Between Self-Determined Motivation, Team Potency, and Self-Talk in Team Sports
Author(s) -
Diana Amado,
Miryam Maestre,
Carlos Montero-Carretero,
Pedro António Sánchez-Miguel,
Eduardo Cervelló
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of human kinetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.735
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1899-7562
pISSN - 1640-5544
DOI - 10.2478/hukin-2019-0116
Subject(s) - competence (human resources) , basketball , psychology , anxiety , perception , autonomy , athletes , clinical psychology , social psychology , applied psychology , medicine , physical therapy , psychiatry , archaeology , neuroscience , political science , law , history
The current study aimed to evaluate the determinant factors of athletes´ internal positive self-talk that might lead to decreased anxiety and increased performance. The sample consisted of 191 male and female athletes ranging in age from 14 to 35 years old. They played soccer, volleyball and basketball and they were cadets (43%), juniors (29.6 %) and adults (27.4%). Results showed that satisfaction of the basic psychological needs was the strongest predictor of positive self-talk or positive thoughts during competition. Specifically, perception of autonomy was the strongest predictor, because it positively predicted concentration, control of anxiety and instructions, followed by perception of competence, which positively predicted confidence. Finally, team sports coaches should promote perception of autonomy and competence in their athletes, with the aim of enhancing more positive self-talk in competition, which may promote a better performance.