Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between coaches’ interpersonal style and fear of failure in athletes. Methods: A sample of 340 athletes at the Federation Level with a mean age of 18.96 years (SD = 5.69 years.) comprised the sample. Athletes completed questionnaires related to fear of failure in sports as well as their perceptions of the extent to which their coaches provided support for athlete autonomy and control. Results: The results revealed a significant and positive relationship between coaches’ controlling style and athletes’ fear of failure whereas coach autonomy support was associated with reduced fear of failure. Through the use of cluster analysis, two athlete profiles emerged. One profile indicated moderate levels of fear of failure among those athletes who perceived a controlling coaching style. The second profile revealed a cluster of athletes with low levels of fear of failure and favorable perceptions of coach support for athlete autonomy. Conclusions: These findings provide further evidence for the role of coaches as social influences capable of contributing to both adaptive and maladaptive psychological outcomes for athletes in sports.
Highlights
Since the origins of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) [1,2,3] an extensive knowledge base has been generated about the influence of SDT variables on motivational and psychological processes in sport [4,5,6]
Coach autonomy support levels were relatively higher than coach controlling behaviors in this sample and significant negative correlations were found between coach autonomy support and each of the five subcategories on the Fear of Failure (PFAI) scale
To determine whether the cluster profiles could be differentiated based upon the coach’s interpersonal style scores, a test of similarity of group means was conducted, Wilks Λ = 0.91, F (2337) = 15.97, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.09. These results revealed differences in autonomy support, F (1338) = 12.63, p < 0.01, η2 = 04 among the two clusters and indicated greater coach autonomy support in the “low fear” cluster (M = 3.78, SD = 0.61) relative to the “moderate fear” cluster (M = 3.54, SD = 0.58)
Summary
Since the origins of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) [1,2,3] an extensive knowledge base has been generated about the influence of SDT variables on motivational and psychological processes in sport [4,5,6]. We know that coaches are extremely important social agents and that coaches’ interpersonal style plays an important role in contributing to the group’s motivational climate, social relationships and decision-making characteristics [7]. Athletes completed questionnaires related to fear of failure in sports as well as their perceptions of the extent to which their coaches provided support for athlete autonomy and control. One profile indicated moderate levels of fear of failure among those athletes who perceived a controlling coaching style. The second profile revealed a cluster of athletes with low levels of fear of failure and favorable perceptions of coach support for athlete autonomy. Conclusions: These findings provide further evidence for the role of coaches as social influences capable of contributing to both adaptive and maladaptive psychological outcomes for athletes in sports
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