A systematic review of the intrapersonal correlates of motivational climate perceptions in physical

Abstract

Introduction: Achievement goal theory proposes two ways of evaluating competence in physical activity contexts: normative success (ego-goals) versus success from objective/absolute performance, improvement, or effort (task-goals). Thirty years of research in physical activity has consistently linked subjective perceptions of how environments emphasize each achievement goal to a range of important outcomes: behavioral, cognitive andaffective. In order for research in this area to reach new heights, the purpose of this study was to systematically review and appraise the achievement goal literature (1990–2014) with a view to identifying the intraindividual correlates of motivational climate perceptions, and to identify avenues in need for further development. Methods: Four databases were searched, leading to the identification of 104 published studies (121 independent samples) that met inclusion criteria. Correlates were grouped into 22 categories and effect sizes were calculated using the Hunter-Schmidt method for correcting sampling error. The 95% confidence interval (CI) of each estimate was constructed around the true score correlation. Results: A total population size of 34,156 (mean=316.3, SD=268.1) was sampled in the analysis, with the published mean ages ranging from 10.0 to 38.2 years (mean=16.5 years, SD=4.7). Perceptions of a task or mastery climate were consistently associated to a range of adaptive motivational outcomes including perceived competence, self-esteem, objective performance, intrinsic forms of motivational regulation, affective states, practice and competitive strategies and moral attitudes, and the experience of flow. Perceptions of an ego or performance climate were positively associated with extrinsic regulation and amotivation, negative affect,maladaptive strategy use, antisocialmoral attitudes andperfectionism, but negatively associated to positive affect and feelings of autonomy and relatedness. Discussion: In addition to the above-described patterns of associations between perceptions of taskand ego-involvingmotivational climates, this study clearly identified several opportunities for future research to reach new heights: (a) the samples were relatively homogeneous in terms of using school and college participants tightly concentrated around the mean age of 16.5 years – future research should seek to recruit samples outside this age-range; (b) the vast majority of the studies sampled were cross-sectional in nature. However, the perceived (and objective) motivational climate may change substantially as one ages or progresses up competitive levels. Future research should seek to address these issues, as well as progressing beyond the measurement of dichotomous subjective perceptions when the motivational climate is, in reality, a complex social environment.