The Effect of Goal-Attainment and Perceived Athletic Competence on Global Self-Esteem in High School Swimmers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of goal attainment and two levels of athletic competence self-perceptions on global self-esteem. A second purpose was to test the applicability of a model (Sonstroem & Morgan, in preparation) developed for tracing the manner in which fitness achievement may impact on general self-esteem. The model was revised to include goal attainment and self-evaluations of specific sport skills in an athletic achievement setting. The sample consisted of 93 male high school varsity swimmers who had their parents sign an informed consent form and then completed the following inventories three times: Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale(SES) (1965), a modified Estimation Scale (EST) (Sonstroem, 197 4) and Social Desirability Scale (SD) (Jackson, 1984), a study developed Personal Performance Goals Inventory (PPG!), and a study developed Self-Perceptions of Swimming Skills Inventory (SPSS!). Specific hypotheses tested were: (1) The Test 1 scores of SPSS! And Estimation will be positively and significantly related, (2) Test 1 relationships between SPSS! and Estimation scores will be larger than relationships between SPSS! and SES scores, (3) The Test 1 scores of Estimation and SES will be positively and significantly related, (4) Goal attainment at mid-season is positively and significantly related to changes in SPSS! and Estimation scores at mid-season, (5) Goal attainment at mid-season is more highly related to changes in SPSS! scores than to changes in Estimation scores, (6) Changes in SPSS! scores at mid-season are positively and significantly related to changes in Estimation scores at mid-season, (7) Changes in Estimation scores at mid-season are positively and significantly related to changes in SES scores at mid-season, (8) Changes in SES scores at mid-season are more highly related to changes in Estimation scores at mid-season than to changes in SPSS! scores at mid-season, (9) Goal attainment at post-season is positively and significantly related to changes in SPSS! and Estimation scores from mid-season to post-season, (10) Goal attainment at post-season is more highly related to changes from mid-season to post-season in SPSS! as compared to Estimation scores, (11) Changes in SPSS I scores from mid to post-season are positively and significantly related to changes in Estimation scores from mid to post-season, (12) Changes in Estimation and SES scores from mid-season to post-season are positively and significantly related, and (13) Changes in SES scores from mid-season to post-season are more highly related to changes in Estimation as compared to changes in SPSS! scores