Abstract
Abstract Objectives. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether and how goal orientation and self-consciousness are associated to tendencies of athletes to experience withdrawal thoughts. Method. The sample consisted of 71 volleyball players who took part in the finals of the British Universities Sport Association league. Three instruments were used: The Thought Occurrence Questionnaire for Sport, the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire, and the Self-Consciousness Scale. Results. Structural models revealed that task orientation was negatively related to thoughts of escape irrespective of game result (winning or losing), whereas ego orientation in a losing situation was positively related to experiencing such thoughts due to the self-focusing tendencies associated with an ego orientation. Conclusion. The present results support previous findings suggesting that high task compared to low task orientations are associated with greater cognitive stability. Furthermore, it is identified that within ego orientations factors outside the control of individuals, such as normatively based criteria, may play an important role in the cognitive processes of individuals. Finally, attention is drawn to the role of self-consciousness which seems important in explaining dysfunctional cognition experienced within an ego orientation.
Published Version
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