Goal Orientation and Perceptions of the Motivational Climate Initiated by Parents

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between goal orientation and perceptions of the motivational climate initiated by parents among female volleyball players. Female volleyball players (N=204), ranging in age from 14 to 17 years (age M = 15.40), participated in the study. All subjects completed the 36-item Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire (PIMCQ-2) and the 13-item Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ). Stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to determine the relationship between the predictor variables and goal orientation. Specifically, a climate where parents emphasized success without effort predicted ego orientation. Also, the results indicated that an individual’s perception of a climate fostered by parents that focused on learning/enjoyment predicted task orientation. Overall, results from this study indicated that female volleyball players’ perceptions of what their parents prefer and consider to be important in the learning of physical skills was related to dispositional goal orientation.