Parent-initiated Motivational Climate Research Articles

The role of parent initiated motivational climate in athletes’ engagement and dispositional flow

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of parent-initiated motivational climate on athletes’ dispositional flow and sport engagement. For this purpose, a total of one hundred and eighty athletes (age, M=17.48, SD=3.39 years; sport experience, M=6.48, SD=3.75 years) voluntarily participated in this study. The participants were recruited voluntarily from team and individual sports. A personal information form, Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire-2, Athlete Engagement Questionnaire, and Short Dispositional Flow Scale 2 were used as the data collection tool. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis. According to the Pearson correlation analysis, confidence, dedication, vigor, enthusiasm, global engagement, and dispositional flow were found to be positively and significantly correlated with parent-initiated task-involving climate. Parent-initiated ego-involving climate did not significantly correlate with any engagement or flow variables. According to the results of multiple regression analysis, parental task-involving climate significantly contributed to athletes’ confidence, dedication, vigor, enthusiasm, global engagement, and dispositional flow. Overall, the results showed that parents’ task-involving motivational climate contributed to athletes’ engagement and dispositional flow. In line with these findings some suggestions for parents are proposed.

Development and Validation of the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate in Individual Sport Competition Questionnaire.

This paper presents a series of studies that progresses the development and validation of the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate in Individual Sport Competition Questionnaire (MCISCQ-Parent). Study 1 examined the face and content validity of an initial pool of 26 items based on the principles of achievement goal theory and prior research. In Study 2, data from an adolescent sample of individual sport athletes was subjected to an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of items pertaining to the perceived task and ego involving characteristics of fathers and mothers in the competition setting. Study 3 tested the factor structure of the MCISCQ-Parent through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in a further youth athlete sample. Following appropriate CFA-related modifications, good goodness of fit indices emerged for the father- (three factor-model) and mother-related (two factor-model) dimensions of motivational climate. In Study 4, a further CFA was conducted and provided additional evidence for the revised factor structure of the MCISCQ-Parent, convergent and discriminant validity, and internal consistency. Finally, Study 5 provided support for the concurrent validity of the MCISCQ-Parent by demonstrating significant relationships between MCISCQ-Parent subscales and task and ego orientation, athlete engagement, and perceived social support. In sum, we present the MCISCQ-Parent as a measure with promising psychometric properties, and specifically to those applied researchers interested in assessing the quality of motivation-related parental involvement perceived by young athletes in the competition setting.

Parental behavior and adolescent's achievement goals in sport

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to examine the role of parents in adolescent athletes' achievement goals. Our first aim was to examine if parental behaviors (autonomy support, responsiveness, behavioral control, and psychological control) are related to adolescents' achievement goals in sport. Our second aim was to find out if these relations are mediated by parent-initiated motivational climate. DesignCross-sectional correlational design. MethodSoccer and field-hockey players (N = 140; 49% girls; Mage = 15.50; SD = 2.05) completed questionnaires assessing parental behavior, parent-initiated motivational climate, coach-initiated motivational climate, implicit theories of ability, and achievement goals. ResultsWhereas parent-initiated motivational climate was a predictor of achievement goals, coach-initiated motivational climate was not. Mediation analyses showed that autonomy support and responsiveness were positively related to mastery-approach and mastery-avoidance goals through parent-initiated mastery climate. Behavioral control was not related to achievement goals through parent-initiated performance climate, but it was related to mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance and performance-avoidance goals through parent-initiated mastery climate. Psychological control was related to performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals through parent-initiated performance climate, but also to mastery-approach and mastery-avoidance goals. ConclusionsParental behavior is related to achievement goals through parent-initiated motivational climate. Thus, parents (rather than coaches) seem to have an important role in shaping adolescents' achievement goals.

The role of parent-initiated motivational climate in the development of overtraining syndrome in adolescent elite athletes: a review study

Parents are not only gatekeepers to sport, they have significant influence on how young athlete perceives and interprets the sport experience. Their influence is mediated through the parent-initiated motivational climate and is not limited to sport environment, but also to non-sport environment. The quality of parent-child relationship is considered to be a predictor of motivation, level of perceived stress and enjoyment of activities in young athlete. It is supposed overtraining as a multifactorial in nature and that non-sport stress may be a contributing factor. The main purpose of this study is to review empirical research works examining the parent-initiated motivational climate in the context of youth elite sport and its potential influence on young elite athlete. Moreover, the study provides theoretical background of the parent-initiated motivational climate in the context of sport participation. This study reviewed empirical research works of quantitative and qualitative research design. From all searched works from 1992 to 2016, fourteen studies fulfilled set requirements. Two qualitative studies focusing on the parent-initiated motivational climate and its relation to overtraining were found out. These studies supported the assumption that non-sport stress contribute in the development of overtraining. Even though no research studies with quantitative research design examining this relationship were found out, they supported the relationship between parent-initiated motivational climate and psychological outcomes associated with sport participation, such as maladaptive behavioural patterns, that are considered to be risks factors to overtraining.

Parent-initiated motivational climate and selfdetermined motivation in youth sport

There are many determinants of sports motivation such as athletes’ personal characteristics, coaches, peers, parents and the other environmental factors. In this research, the aim was to analyse whether there was a relationship between perceived parent-initiated motivational climate and self-determined motivation of karate athletes. Karate athletes (N=325) participated in the research and completed the adolescent version of the Sport Motivation Scale and Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses showed that the athletes’ self-determined motivation significantly correlated with learning and enjoyment climate, worry-conducive climate and success-without-effort climate perceived both in father and mother. Besides, regression analysis showed that perceived family climate significantly contributed to selfdetermined motivation. Linear combination of father learning and enjoyment climate (β=.21), father successwithout effort climate (β=-.17), and mother success-without-effort climate (β=-.14) significantly contributed to self-determined motivation (F(3,321)=18.88, R2=.15, p<.001). In conclusion, the results indicated that athletes’ perception of parent-initiated motivational climate was important for their self-determined motivation. The findings were evaluated and some implications for parents were proposed.

Swedish youth football players’ attitudes towards moral decision in sport as predicted by the parent-initiated motivational climate

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to examine associations between late adolescent football players’ perceptions of the motivational climate – as initiated by mothers and fathers – and attitudes towards moral decision making in sports. DesignCross-sectional. MethodsParticipants were 213 Swedish football players (144 males, 67 females) aged 16–19 years who completed measures assessing perceived parent-initiated motivational climate (i.e., success-without-effort climate [SWEC]; worry conducive climate [WCC]; and learning/enjoyment climate [LEC]) and attitudes towards moral decision-making in sport (i.e., acceptance of cheating [AOC]; acceptance of gamesmanship [AOG] and keeping winning in proportion [KWIP]). ResultsCanonical correlations demonstrated moderate positive relations between parent-initiated − both mother and father − performance climates (WCC and SWEC) and AOC and AOG. Moreover, the relationship between mother and father-initiated learning/enjoyment climate (LEC) were shown to be moderately and positively associated with the prosocial attitude dimension of KWIP. Results also showed that a mother-initiated LEC and a mother-initiated SWEC were stronger predictors of the criterion variables (AOC, AOG, and KWIP) than equivalent father-initiated climate dimensions. ConclusionsThe results highlight the importance of considering the relationship between parent-initiated climates − especially initiated by mothers − and the development of moral decision-making among youth football players.

Profiles of perfectionism, parental climate, and burnout among competitive junior athletes.

Recent research suggests that groups of athletes which differ in terms of perfectionism and perceptions of achievement climate can be identified. Moreover, these groups also differ in terms of burnout symptoms. The purpose of the current study was to extend this research by examining whether discernible groups can be identified based on scores of perfectionism and perceptions of parent-initiated climate and, then, whether these groups differ in terms of burnout. Two-hundred and thirty-seven Swedish junior athletes (124 males and 113 females aged 16-19) from a variety of sports completed measures of athlete burnout, multidimensional perfectionism, and parent-initiated motivational climate. Latent profile analysis identified four groups: non-perfectionistic athletes in a task-involving climate, moderately perfectionistic athletes in a task-involving climate, highly perfectionistic athletes in a task-involving climate, and highly perfectionistic athletes in a mixed climate. The latter two groups reported higher levels of burnout in comparison to other groups. The findings suggest that junior athletes high in perfectionism may be at comparatively greater risk to burnout and that this may especially be the case when they perceive their parents to emphasize concerns about failure and winning without trying one's best.

Other-Initiated Motivational Climate and Youth Hockey Players’ Good and Poor Sport Behaviors

This study's purpose was to simultaneously examine the relationships between perceived coach-, peer-, and parent-initiated motivational climate and youth hockey players’ good and poor sport behavior (GPSB). Participants (N = 243) represented PeeWee, Bantam, and Midget hockey levels (11–17 years old). Hierarchical regression showed that hockey players’ goal orientations, perceived ability, and other-initiated motivational climate explained 22.6% (PeeWee) and 18.5% (Bantam/Midget) of the variance in Poor Sport Behavior while explaining 27.1% (PeeWee) and 34.6% (Bantam/Midget) of the variance in good sport behavior. Results provide perspective for how influential the social environment is to both GPSBs in youth hockey.

Relations of Parent- and Coach-Initiated Motivational Climates to Young Athletes’ Self-Esteem, Performance Anxiety, and Autonomous Motivation: Who Is More Influential?

Motivational climate research has focused more empirical attention on coach-initiated motivational climate than on the parent-initiated climate. In this study of 238 competitive swimmers (ages 9–14 years), we compared the strength of relations between athletes’ late-season perceptions of coach and parent-initiated climates and their self-esteem, performance anxiety, and intrinsic–extrinsic motivation. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that parent-initiated motivational climate was a significant predictor of late-season self-esteem, trait anxiety, and autonomous regulation over and above coach-initiated motivational climate. We discuss when and why the parent-initiated climate is likely to be more influential and imply that more empirical attention to parents is warranted.

Parent-initiated Motivational Climate and Young Athletes Intrinsic-Extrinsic Motivation: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Relations

Sport is an important developmental context for children, and experiences involving parents, coaches, and peers affect a variety of important psychosocial outcomes, including motivational processes. Linking concepts from achievement goal theory with motivational constructs in self-determination theory, this study examined relations between the motivational climate created by parents and both the nature and changes in sport-related motivation in young athletes, using Grolnick and Ryan’s autonomous regulation index, which summarizes the relative strength of intrinsic and extrinsic forms of motivation. We followed a sample (N=308) of 9-14 year old swim club athletes during a 32-week season, measuring their reports of the parent-initiated motivational climate as well as autonomous regulation at the beginning of the season, at midseason, and at the end of the season. Cross sectional analyses at each point revealed that children whose parents created a mastery climate, which defines success in terms of enjoyment of the activity, self-improvement, and effort, reported higher levels of autonomous regulation (intrinsic motivation) than did those whose parent created an ego climate that emphasized winning, avoidance of mistakes, and ability comparison with others. In contrast, ego climate scores were positively related to extrinsic motivation scores. Girls exhibited higher autonomous regulation than did boys. An extreme-group longitudinal analysis showed that children exposed to a strong mastery environment exhibited higher autonomous regulation and increased in autonomous regulation from mid-season to late-season, whereas an ego-climate group decreased in internal regulation during this interval.

Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate, Self-Esteem, and Autonomous Motivation in Young Athletes: Testing Propositions from Achievement Goal and Self-Determination Theories

Interactions with parents are known to have a significant impact on children's self-esteem. In this study, designed to test propositions derived from Achievement Goal Theory and Self-Determination Theory, we assessed the influence of perceived parent-initiated mastery and ego motivational climates on self-esteem and self-esteem change in competitive youth swimmers over the course of a 32-week sport season. At each of three measurement points (early, mid, and late season), mastery climate scores on the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire-2 scale were positively related to global self-esteem scores and to a measure of relative motivational autonomy that reflects the intrinsic-extrinsic motivation continuum, whereas ego climate scores were negatively related to self-esteem and autonomy. Longitudinal analyses revealed that early-season mastery climate predicted positive changes in self-esteem over the course of the season, whereas ego climate predicted decreased self-esteem. Consistent with predictions derived from Self-Determination Theory, a meditational analysis revealed that these self-esteem changes were mediated by changes in autonomous motivation.

Trait Anxiety in Young Athletes as a Function of Parental Pressure and Motivational Climate: Is Parental Pressure Always Harmful?

We assessed the role of parental behaviors on sport performance anxiety. Measures of trait anxiety, parental pressure, and parent-initiated motivational climate were administered to youth swimmers throughout the season. High parental pressure within either a low mastery or a high ego motivational climate was associated with the highest levels of anxiety at all time points. An early-season, high-pressure/low-mastery combination was also associated with relative increases in anxiety over the season, whereas high pressure within a high mastery climate was associated with relative decreases. Results indicate that parental pressure can have differential effects depending upon motivational climate.

Elite and non-elite male footballers differ in goal orientation and perceptions of parental climate

This study examined whether elite and non-elite adolescent football players differ in goal orientation and perceptions of the motivational climate created by their parents. A total of 69 players recruited from a football academy (elite) and 49 players participating in recreational football (non-elite) completed measures assessing goal orientation and parent-initiated motivational climate. Compared to non-elite, elite players were significantly higher in task orientation, and had higher perceptions that their mother valued a motivational climate that emphasized learning and enjoyment, and lower perceptions that both parents created a climate in which success without effort was valued. The findings suggest that task orientation and a perceived parental environment that values effort and learning may facilitate high levels of sport achievement.

Examining the influence of the parent-initiated and coach-created motivational climates upon athletes' perfectionistic cognitions

The aims of this study are threefold. First, we investigate the influence of the parent-initiated motivational climate upon elite junior athletes' perfectionistic cognitions. Second, we examine whether the coach-created motivational climate predicts additional variance in elite junior athletes' perfectionistic cognitions beyond the effects associated with the parent-initiated motivational climate. Third, we test the moderating role of athletes' gender and age in the relationship between the parent-initiated and coach-created motivational climates and athletes' perfectionistic cognitions. A total of 190 elite junior athletes (mean age 15.2 years, s = 1.5, range 10–18) completed the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire-2 (White & Duda, 1993), the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2 (Newton, Duda, & Yin, 2000), and the Perfectionistic Cognitions Inventory (Flett, Hewitt, Blankstein, & Gray, 1998). Regression analyses revealed that mother- and father-initiated worry-conducive climates, the father-initiated success-without-effort climate, and the coach-created performance motivational climate predicted male athletes' perfectionistic cognitions. Female athletes' perfectionistic cognitions were predicted by the mother-initiated worry-conducive climate, father-initiated learning-enjoyment climate, and both dimensions of the coach-created climate. Finally, athletes' gender emerged as a significant moderator of the mother-initiated worry-conducive climate and athletes' perfectionistic cognitions relationship. Findings confirm that the parent-initiated motivational climate is a significant predictor of athletes' perfectionism-related thoughts, and provide initial support for the influence of the coach-created motivation climate over children's perfectionistic cognitions.

Young People Perception For The Motivational Climate Induced By Parents To Sport Participation

The literature has been increasingly emphasizing that the systematic involvement by children and young people in contexts of sport, besides providing a wide range of functional, psychological and social benefits, results on a complex process that involves several variables, such as their families. However, few studies analysed separately the influence of fathers and mothers in sport participation of young people. PURPOSES: This study aims to examine the perception of young people for the motivational climate induced by their fathers and mothers to sport participation. METHODS: 1536 Portuguese athletes (soccer, basketball, volleyball and swimming) of both sexes (1021 boys and 480 girls) ranging in age from 12 to18 years responded to an adapted version of the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire (PIMCQ-2p). The PIMCQ-2p subscales are Learning/Enjoyment Climate (L/EC), Worry Conducive Climate (WCC) and Success Without Effort Climate (SWEC). Responses were recorded on a 5-point Likert-type scale between 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree. Statistical procedures included t-student test, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation Coefficient. RESULTS: (1) Subscale L/EC showed higher mean values than subscales WCC and SWEC for boys (mother: 3.91±0.72 vs 2.30±0.98 and 2.49±0.96, respectively; father: 3.97±0.70 vs 2.40±1.01 and 2.49±1.03, respectively), girls (mother: 3.94±0.62 vs 2.12±0.84 and 2.37±0.88 respectively; father: 3.87±0.73 vs 2.20±0.91 and 2.37±0.89, respectively) and total sample (mother: 3.92±0.68 vs 2.25±0.94 and 2.46±0.94, respectively; father: 3.94±0.18 vs 2.34±0.98 and 2.45±0.99, respectively). (2) Results also showed the agreement between motivational climate induced by father and by mother to their children sport participation (boys: L/EC, R=0.74 (p=0.001); WCC, R=0.83 (p=0.001); SWEC, R=0.79 (p=0.001) and girls: L/EC, R=0.69 (p=0.001); WCC, R=0.80 (p=0.001); SWEC, R=0.82 (p=0.001)). CONCLUSION: Young people of both sexes perceived that their parents induce them an atmosphere of pleasure in learning. Furthermore, children perceived that their parents evidenced an agreement among themselves regarding motivational climate induced for sport participation.

Perceptions of the Motivational Climate Created by Parents of Young Portuguese Swimmers

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of parent-initiated motivational climate in young Portuguese swimmers. 244 participants (130 boys, 114 girls; M age = 13 yr., SD = 2), involved in advanced swimming programs (n = 88) or competition (n = 156), responded to the Portuguese version of the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire. Age did not significantly affect the perceptions the young swimmers had of their parents' initiated motivational climate, but a main effect for sex and an interaction of sex and level of practice interaction were found. Boys in advanced swimming programs perceived a stronger Success-without-effort Climate created by both their father and their mother than did girls at the same level of practice. Boys and girls in both categories had higher perceptions of a Learning/Enjoyment Climate.

Adolescent Goal Profiles, Perceptions of the Parent-Initiated Motivational Climate, and Competitive Trait Anxiety

The purpose of this study was to examine the combined effects of task- and ego-orientation on adolescents’ perceptions of the parent-initiated motivational climate and competitive trait anxiety. Participants were 279 male and female adolescents (mean age = 14.41 years) who competed on organized sport teams. Based on a mean split on the two TEOSQ subscales, four goal orientation profile groups were created: high-task/high-ego, high-task/low-ego, high-ego/low-task, and low-task/low-ego. MANOVA results indicated that the high-task/low-ego group perceived that both their mother and father endorsed a learning and enjoyment motivational climate. In contrast, the high-ego/low-task group thought their mother and father valued a climate where success was coupled with low effort. In this group, fathers were perceived to cause worry about making mistakes. This group experienced the highest levels of competitive trait anxiety. For the high-task/high-ego group it was found that fathers emphasized a climate where success was linked to low levels of exerted effort and mothers were perceived to cause worry about making mistakes. However, the high-task/high-ego group also believed that both parents still valued learning and enjoyment in the development of physical skills. Lastly, individuals in the low-task/low-ego group perceived mothers to make them afraid of making mistakes in the learning of skills.

Goal Orientation and Perceptions of the Motivational Climate Initiated by Parents

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.

An exploratory examination of the Parent-initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire.

The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure and internal reliability of the Parent-initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire among 112 boys and 98 girls, young adolescents, and older adolescents. The questionnaire had a meaningful 3-factor structure and showed acceptable internal reliability. There was a significant difference between how boys and girls perceived their parents' reactions to their learning new physical skills. In contrast to boys, girls thought that both their mothers and fathers focused on improvement and self-satisfaction during the learning process and deemphasized learning without effort and worrying about making mistakes. Age did not significantly affect the perceptions the individuals had of their parents' convictions about their learning in the physical domain.

AN EXPLORATORY EXAMINATION OF THE PARENT-INITIATED MOTIVATIONAL CLIMATE QUESTIONNAIRE

The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure and internal reliability of the Parent-initiated Motivational Climate Questionnaire among 112 boys and 98 girls, young adolescents, and older adolescents. The questionnaire had a meaningful 3-factor structure and showed acceptable internal reliability. There was a significant difference between how boys and girls perceived their parents' reactions to their learning new physical skills. In contrast to boys, girls thought that both their mothers and fathers focused on improvement and self-satisfaction during the learning process and deemphasized learning without effort and worrying about making mistakes. Age did not significantly affect the perceptions the individuals had of their parents' convictions about their learning in the physical domain.