Perceived Autonomy Support Research Articles

#2610 NURSE-LED OPTIMIZATION OF VOLUME AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN KIDNEY DISEASE – ENABLING AT MULTI-LEVELS USING A TECHNOLOGY (NOVELTY) PROGRAM

Abstract Background and Aims Fluid overload and hypertension are common in chronic kidney disease (CKD). They increase healthcare utilization due to frequent ambulatory consults and/or hospitalizations but can be avoided with self-management. We evaluated the feasibility of a nurse-led, team-based program that incorporated (1) objective fluid volume assessment using body impedance analysis (BIA) to enable diuretic and antihypertensive titration, and (2) structured patient education and action plan coaching for ambulatory patients with CKD and fluid overload and/or uncontrolled blood pressure. Method Prospective pilot study of adults who participated in the 4-week program (Figure 1) between August and October 2022. Patients were eligible if they had CKD not requiring dialysis and had fluid overload and/or systolic blood pressure (BP) >160 mmHg or diastolic BP >100 mmHg at the ambulatory renal clinic. We evaluated fluid overload symptoms and signs, standardized clinic BP, BIA over-hydration volume and patient reported outcomes on (1) chronic disease self-management using the Partner in Health (PIH) questionnaire (2) perceived autonomy support from the healthcare team using the modified Health Care Climate Questionnaire (HCCQ), and (3) health-related quality of life (HrQOL) using the EuroQOL-5 Dimension (EQ5D5L) questionnaire, before and after the program. Results Fifteen patients were referred by their nephrologists, but 1 was uncontactable and 1 did not want to adhere to the recommended treatment. Among 13 patients in the pilot, 64.3% was male, median age was 68 (range 40 – 85) years and 35.7% had ≥4 visits to healthcare institutions in the past six months. Causes of kidney disease were diabetes (64.3%), hypertension (21.4%) and glomerulonephritis (14.3%), with a median eGFR of 30 (14 – 106) ml/min/1.73 m2. At enrolment, fluid overload was present in 57.1% and BIA over-hydration value was 1.7L (0 – 6.4L). Eleven patients (84.6%) completed the 4-week follow-up; 1 stopped after the first consult due to lack of time, while 1 stopped after 2 weeks (already confident of self-management). At 4 weeks, systolic BP [141 (109-179) mmHg versus 162 (120-198) mmHg at enrolment, p = 0.046] and PIH score [84 (72-96) versus 57 (10-94), p = 0.04] had improved significantly compared to enrolment, while HrQOL was not different (Table 1). Patients generally perceived a high level of autonomy support from the healthcare team. Serum creatinine did not change significantly after antihypertensive and diuretic titration. Conclusion A nurse-led program incorporating objective fluid volume assessment, structured patient education and action plan coaching was well-received, with improved BP and self-management in patients with kidney disease.

Student-perceived parental help with homework: Identifying student profiles and their relations with homework effort, procrastination, and achievement

This study examined student-perceived parental help with homework through a person-centered approach based on the data from 534 8th graders in China. Measures on student-perceived help included (a) two measures relating to student-perceived quality of parental help (content support and autonomy support), and (b) one measure concerning student-perceived quantity of parental help. Latent profile analysis produced five different profiles regarding parental homework help: Low Perceived Help (7.865 %), Medium-Low Perceived Help (24.157 %), Predominantly Perceived Autonomy Support (4.869 %), Moderate Perceived Help (49.813 %), and High Perceived Help (13.296 %). Furthermore, profile membership was related to homework effort, procrastination, and mathematics achievement after controlling for parent education and prior achievement, with medium to large effect sizes. Overall, students with higher perceived parental help (particularly relating to autonomy support) put forth more homework effort, procrastinated less, and scored higher on mathematics achievement. Implications for future studies and homework practices are considered with regard to these findings.

Prediction of the adherence to sports practice of young Ecuadorians based on the perception of the coach's interpersonal style.

Based on the framework of the self-determination theory, the present study aimed to test a predictive model in the Ecuadorian sports context by using autonomy support as a trigger, which was mediated by basic psychological needs and later by autonomous motivation. This procedure was used to predict the intention to be physically active and was carried out on 280 athletes from the province of Azuay (Ecuador) aged between 12 and 20 years (M = 15.28; SD = 1.71). Different scales were used to measure the perception of the interpersonal style of autonomy supported by the coach. The scales employed included the degree of satisfaction of basic psychological needs, motivation to practice sports, and intention to be physically active. A structural equation analysis revealed that perceived autonomy support positively predicted basic psychological needs, which in turn positively predicted autonomous motivation and, as a result, the athletes' intentions to be physically active. It was concluded that coaches' support for the interpersonal style of autonomy can benefit the development of basic psychological needs as well as autonomous motivation, which in turn can increase young athletes' intentions to be physically active. Future research is also recommended to verify this predictive model and to encourage further experimental studies in which coaches promote autonomy support for athletes intending to increase their adherence to practising sports.

Sport Commitment in Student-athletes : Examining the Role of Perceived Autonomy Support, a Caring Climate, and Basic Psychological Needs

PURPOSE For student-athletes to be able to successfully dedicate themselves to training and competition, the following key factors play an important role: The coach, team climate, and individual motivational characteristics. To test this hypothesis, the structural relationships between having a perceived autonomy support, a caring climate, basic psychological needs, and sport commitment were analyzed. METHODS Participants were 297 high school athletes registered with the Korea Olympic Committee (203 males, 94 females, M<sub>age</sub> =17.88 years). Data were collected using sports climate questionnaires for autonomy support, caring climate scale, basic psychological needs scale, and sport commitment measurement. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling.RESULTS The model’s fitness was indicated by x<sup>2</sup>/df=2.797 (x<sup>2</sup>=106.288, df=38), CFI=.977, TLI=.967, RMSEA=.078 (90% CI=.061, .096). Examining the various path coefficients revealed that coach autonomy support had a positive effect on the athlete’s caring climate, basic psychological needs, and sport commitment. The caring climate had a significant effect on basic psychological needs, but did not have a statistically significant effect on sport commitment. Finally, basic psychological needs had a positive effect on sport commitment. CONCLUSIONS Coach autonomy support fosters a caring climate, and athletes who are able to perceive this are able to dedicate themselves to their sport since their basic physiological needs are met. Therefore, coaches should use appropriate coaching strategies to enhance athletes' autonomy and foster a caring climate, as both are essential factors for meeting athletes' psychological needs and promoting sport commitment.

The bright and dark side of autonomy: How autonomy support and thwarting relate to student motivation and academic functioning

According to Self-Determination Theory, autonomy support is essential in fostering optimal learning, growth, and functioning in students across all levels. In contrast, autonomy thwarting is associated with student malfunctioning. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between perceptions of autonomy support and thwarting, students’ autonomous and controlled motivations, and aspects of student functioning in a higher education setting. The sample consisted of 414 Norwegian university students recruited from introductory calculus courses. Structural equation modeling indicated that perceived autonomy support predicts autonomous motivation and is negatively linked to controlled motivation. Autonomy thwarting is negatively linked to autonomous motivation and positively predicts controlled motivation. We found that autonomous motivation predicts engagement, effort, and learning. Controlled motivation is negatively linked to vitality and engagement, and positively predicts effort. The results are in line with the tenets of Self-Determination Theory, and the present study highlights the importance of providing an autonomy supportive environment during higher education lectures.

Autonomy support and prosocial impact facilitate meaningful work: A daily diary study.

This study pays attention to within-person fluctuations in meaningful work and its antecedents and consequences. Considering self- and other-oriented dimensions as crucial pathways to meaningful work, effects of daily perceived autonomy support and prosocial impact on one's meaningful work were examined. A daily diary study was conducted in which 86 nurses from varied hospitals reported their work experiences for 10 consecutive workdays (860 occasions). Results of multilevel modeling showed that both day-level perceived autonomy support and prosocial impact were positively related to day-level meaningful work, which served as the mediator between them and work engagement. Prosocial orientation strengthened the positive relationship between day-level perceived prosocial impact and day-level meaningful work. However, autonomy orientation negatively moderated the effect of day-level perceived autonomy support on day-level meaningful work, suggesting the necessity to distinguish between assisted and asserted autonomy orientation. Our findings illustrate the transient and dynamic nature of meaningful work and provide empirical evidences linking suggested managerial practices to employees' meaningful work.

Antecedents Predicting Students' Active Use of Learning Strategies in Schools of Low SES Context within the Framework of Self-Determination Theory.

Meeting a student's autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs is one of the conditions to help him/her learn effectively. In this study, we aim to understand how teacher support (relationship with students, their autonomy support) and general classroom atmosphere (equity, relationships between students) predict students' learning; that is, the learning strategies they use. Data were collected from 24 secondary schools in 9 municipalities in Lithuania with low SES (socioeconomic status) contexts (N = 632 students; 330 girls and 302 boys). The following instruments were used in the research: What Is Happening in this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire, a short form of the Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ), and the Learning Strategies scale. The results showed that girls use learning strategies statistically significantly more actively than boys. Students' use of learning strategies in a sample of both boys and girls are predicted by perceived teacher support, student cohesiveness, and perceived autonomy support. Therefore, responding to the relatedness and autonomy needs of students from low SES is very significant because it can increase their engagement in the learning process. The difference found, that equity is a significant predictor of learning strategies in the sample of girls, but not in boys, encourages further research and interpretation of such research results.

Multidimensional Motivational Climate Questionnaire in Physical Education at the Situational Level of Generality (MUMOC-PES).

The main aim of this study was to investigate the construct validity of a new MUltidimensional MOtivational Climate questionnaire in Physical Education (PE) at the Situational level of generality (MUMOC-PES), capturing four dimensions of empowering (autonomy support, task-involvement, relatedness support, structure) and three dimensions of disempowering (controlling, relatedness thwarting, ego-involvement) climate. Nine hundred and fifty-six adolescent students completed the new measure alongside measures of mastery and performance approach/avoidance climate and satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity of the MUMOC-PES. Student satisfaction in PE corresponded positively to empowering and negatively to disempowering climate dimensions. Controlling for age, gender and within-class individual differences in perceived empowering and disempowering dimensions, class average scores on perceived empowering climate had significant effects on student satisfaction, implying predictive validity for the MUMOC-PES. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) suggested that perceived autonomy support and relatedness thwarting had direct positive and negative effects on satisfaction respectively. Moreover, effects of perceived structure and thwarting relationships on satisfaction were mediated through a mastery climate construct capturing the linkage between perception and mastery goal. The results are discussed in relation to existing measures and literature on motivational climate and the future use of MUMOC-PES in research and PE teachers' training.

The longitudinal development of students' well-being in adolescence: The role of perceived teacher autonomy support.

Although a decline in adolescents' well-being has repeatedly been reported, longitudinal evidence for this development is rare and time-varying factors like teacher autonomy support that could be associated with this trend have sparsely been investigated. Therefore, the present study examined how the temporal development of perceived autonomy support from their German language arts teachers is related to changes in four different facets of students' well-being. Longitudinal data from 3446 adolescents from Germany (NSchools =178) on five measurement points (Grades 5-9) were analyzed using latent growth curve models. Satisfaction with school, enjoyment of school, and self-rated health decreased over time, while social integration remained stable. Perceived teacher autonomy support also declined between Grades 5 and 9. Furthermore, baseline levels of perceived teacher autonomy support and facets of well-being were positively related. Finally and most importantly, our results indicated that changes in perceived teacher autonomy support were positively associated with the development of satisfaction with school, enjoyment of school, and self-rated health, but not social integration. The findings suggest that perceived teacher autonomy support plays an important role in the development of students' well-being in adolescence.

Uticaj psiholoških potreba i radne klime na zadovoljstvo poslom zaposlenih u hotelijerstvu

Employee satisfaction is a key factor to achieving high work performance results and service provision efficiency, which directly contributes to the increase in organizational productivity. For the purpose of this paper, in addition to the theoretical postulates of self-determination theory, we analyzed the impact of social environment factors and basic psychological needs on job satisfaction. The sample included 150 employees in hotels in the Republic of Serbia. According to the research results, there is a statistically significant positive correlation between the work climate, i.e., the perceived autonomy support for employees, and extrinsic and intrinsic satisfaction, as well as overall job satisfaction. On the other hand, the results show that general job satisfaction (as well as extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction) is largely associated with the degree of psychological needs' satisfaction. From the aspect of the type and content of the job, it was determined that jobs which by their nature differ in terms of complexity and imply the freedom of choice and creativity in performing tasks, provide more possibilities for the fulfillment of basic psychological needs and job satisfaction. It is expected that the results of this research will contribute to better human resource management practices in the hospitality industry wherein employees are the key to success.

Perceived Autonomy Support in Telerehabilitation by People With Chronic Respiratory Disease: A Mixed Methods Study

Autonomy-supportive health environments can assist patients in achieving behavior change and can influence adherence positively. Telerehabilitation may increase access to rehabilitation services, but creating an autonomy-supportive environment may be challenging. To what degree does telerehabilitation provide an autonomy-supportive environment? What is the patient experience of an 8-week telerehabilitation program? Individuals undertaking telerehabilitation or center-based pulmonary rehabilitation within a larger randomized controlled equivalence trial completed the Health Care Climate Questionnaire (HCCQ; short form) to assess perceived autonomy support. Telerehabilitation participants were invited 1:1 to undertake semistructured interviews. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded thematically to identify major themes and subthemes. One hundred thirty-six participants (n= 69 telerehabilitation) completed the HCCQ and 30 telerehabilitation participants (42%) undertook interviews. HCCQ summary scores indicated that participants strongly agreed that the telerehabilitation environment was autonomy supportive, which was similar to center-based participants (HCCQ summary score, P= .6; individual HCCQ items, P≥ .3). Telerehabilitation interview data supported quantitative findings identifying five major themes, with subthemes, as follows: (1) making it easier to participate in pulmonary rehabilitation, because telerehabilitation was convenient, saved time and money, and offered flexibility; (2) receiving support in a variety of ways, including opportunities for peer support and receiving an individualized program guided by expert staff; (3) internal and external motivation to exercise as a consequence of being in a supervised group, seeing results for effort, and being inspired by others; (4) achieving success through provision of equipment and processes to prepare and support operation of equipment and technology; and (5) after the rehabilitation program, continuing to exercise, but dealing with feelings of loss. Telerehabilitation was perceived as an autonomy-supportive environment, in part by making it easier to undertake pulmonary rehabilitation. Support for behavior change, understanding, and motivation were derived from clinicians and patient-peers. The extent to which autonomy support translates into ongoing self-management and behavior change is not clear. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; No.: ACTRN12616000360415; URL: https://anzctr.org.au/.

What Matters for Boys Does Not Necessarily Matter for Girls: Gender-Specific Relations between Perceived Self-Determination, Engagement, and Performance in School Mathematics

While math performance does not seem to differ systematically between males and females, it is one of the subjects that is consistently perceived as “male” with girls regularly reporting lower levels of motivation and less positive attitudes than boys. This study aimed to uncover gender-specific relations between perceived self-determination, engagement, and performance in school mathematics that might help to better understand this discrepancy. In an online study, we hence assessed perceived competence and autonomy support, social relatedness, cognitive and behavioral engagement, math performance as well as sustained attention as a basic cognitive prerequisite in a sample of N = 221 Seventh-Grade students from southern Germany (Mage = 12.84 years, SDage = 0.55, Nfemales = 115). As expected, we found no gender differences in math performance. In multiple group path analyses, perceived autonomy support was the most consistent predictor of cognitive and behavioral engagement for both girls and boys. While it did not affect math performance directly, we found significant indirect effects via cognitive engagement for girls, and via behavioral engagement for boys, whereas competence support in the math classroom, which female students perceived as significantly lower than male students, negatively predicted only girls’ performance, sustained attention explained a considerable part of boys’ math performance. Girls seem to experience competence support less often than boys, and if they do, we assume it to be in response to low performance rather than to encourage high competence and nurture talent. Our results suggest promising avenues for future research and implications for math classrooms.

Increased perceived autonomy-supportive teaching in physical education classes changes students' positive emotional perception compared to controlling teaching.

Teachers can expect that autonomy support positively influences students' affective-emotional perception in physical education (PE), when considering assumptions of the Self-Determination theory. Highly autonomy-supportive PE teaching comprises students' free choices regarding organizational, procedural, and cognitive aspects of a PE lesson, whereas low autonomy support addresses these aspects only partly and controlling teaching refers to students as recipients of the teacher's decisions. This quasi-experiment investigates effects to determine the effects of high autonomy-supportive (PEhigh), low autonomy-supportive (PElow) and controlling (PEcontrol) PE class teaching styles on affective valence and enjoyment. As such, we compare the effects of these teaching styles on beneficial psychological outcomes (i.e., affective valence, enjoyment) in students. In a sample of German students (N = 57; age: M ± SD = 15.6 ± 0.6; gender: 53% female, 47% male) perceived autonomy support, affective valence, and enjoyment were assessed via self-report questionnaires before and after a 20-min PE class intervention focusing on high or low autonomy-supportive, or controlling teaching. Students who participated in PEhigh perceived significantly more positive valence and enjoyment over time compared to students in the PElow and PEcontrol groups (affective valence: p = 0.025, ηp 2 = 0.13; enjoyment: p = 0.007, ηp 2 = 0.17). Differences between groups show significant results for valence between PEhigh and PEcontrol, and between PElow and PEcontrol. Thus, PEhigh should be preferred over PElow to intensify these effects. Based on these results, PE teachers can employ a high autonomy-supportive teaching style (e.g., through a combination of free choices, social interaction, and informative feedback) to improve students' positive affective-emotional perception and to foster an increase in students' time engaged in physical activity.

Testing the Vallerand’s Motivational Sequence in Physical Education: The Invariance of Teachers’ Motivation to Teach

The aims of this study were to test the Vallerand's motivational sequence model in physical education and to examine the invariance of the model across PE teachers’ motivation to teach. The study was conducted with 177 high school PE teachers and their 461 students. Motivation to Teach Scale was applied to PE teachers. “Highly intrinsically motivated” and “highly extrinsically motivated” teachers were determined based on the results obtained from this scale. Two highest intrinsically motivated teachers and three highest extrinsically motivated teachers were reached again and their students’ autonomy support, basic psychological needs satisfaction, situational motivation, subjective vitality, and concentration were assessed. Structural equation modelling and Ward invariant analysis were used for the data analysis. Results showed that the more teachers are intrinsically motivated for her profession, the more their students’ autonomy need satisfaction negatively explains their amotivation level in physical education. Perceived autonomy support is the trigger and autonomy need satisfaction is the most important variable in the whole motivational model. Thus, physical education teachers are recommended to create a lesson environment providing autonomy support and considering autonomy need satisfaction to increase students’ well-being.

The Light and Dark Sides of Student Engagement: Profiles and Their Association with Perceived Autonomy Support.

School engagement has assumed an important place in current developmental psychology and educational research due to its potential to address students' low achievement, high dropout rates, and misbehavior. Although much has been written about the antecedents and outcomes of student engagement, literature on how students' level of engagement differs in response to different teaching styles was missing on a large scale. Understanding the patterns and risks linked with student engagement provides opportunities for targeted intervention. This study explored primary school students' engagement and burnout profiles and how different profiles interacted with perceived classroom teaching styles (i.e., autonomy-supportive & autonomy suppressive). Latent profile analysis resulted in four student engagement subgroups: moderately engaged, engaged, moderately burned out, and burned out. Students clustered into engagement groups were likely to report higher autonomy support from teachers. In contrast, burned-out groups were more likely to rate teachers' teaching styles as suppressive (i.e., autonomy suppressive). Collectively, the study indicated that autonomy-supportive teaching behaviors are pivotal in understanding student engagement and school burnout. Thus, tailored teacher-focused intervention programs that enhance teachers' awareness of autonomy-supportive teaching is important. The significance of the findings with the demand-resource model (in the education context) was discussed.

The Predictive Role of Perceived Autonomy Support in Elementary School Children Physical Activity.

The present article aimed to test a predictive model based on children’s perception of autonomy support exercised by their physical education teachers in establishing a state of high motivational quality, which in turn leads to greater intention and physical activity. Participants were 502 elementary school students aged 9 to 11 years (52.59% males (9.47 ± 0.53 years old) and 47.41% females (9.54 ± 0.53 years old)), who completed a self-reported questionnaire of perceived autonomy support from physical education teachers, self-determination, intention to be physically active, and physical activity. Results showed that perceived autonomy support was positively related to autonomous motivation, which in turn was associated with intention and physical activity. In addition, the model did not present variations with respect to gender and confirmed the indirect effects of autonomous motivation on intention and practice of physical activity. Finally, we conclude on the importance of an adequate perception of autonomy support in students by their teachers for the establishment of an appropriate motivational state that could promote greater intention and physical activity. Thus, the motivational state acquired in physical education classes can be translated into intention and practice of physical activity in different contexts of students’ daily lives.

Determinants of Telehealth Continuance Intention: A Multi-Perspective Framework.

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries’ physicians in the world have used telehealth to visit patients via telehealth. The study aimed to integrate the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the technology acceptance model (TAM), and self-determination theory (SDT) to explore the adoption behavior of a telehealth system. A convenient sample of residents was drawn from the population of Nantou County in Taiwan and analyzed via structural equation modeling. The findings revealed that attitude, perceived behavioral control, perceived usefulness, and perceived autonomy support jointly have significantly positive effects on continuance intention. Results also confirmed that perceived autonomy support, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness jointly have significantly positive effects on attitude. Furthermore, this study also showed that a crucial mediators’ role is played by perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude. The conclusions and practical implications of the research will hopefully provide health organizations and institutions with some innovative insights and foresights, which in turn will promote better practices and services of telehealth technology.

Uncovering the Role of Mindfulness in Autonomous Motivation across Physical Education and Leisure Time: Extending the Trans-Contextual Model.

Mindfulness is assumed to foster the ability to consistently act in line with one’s authentic self; a skill which has been found to enhance students’ autonomous motivated behavior in the educational context. However, evidence regarding how mindfulness can be integrated into existing conceptual frameworks such as the trans-contextual model is scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the role of mindfulness in students’ autonomous motivation in the school and leisure time contexts. Overall, N = 1877 students (M = 14.74 years, SD = 2.63) indicated their self-reported mindfulness, their perceived need for support in physical education, their autonomous motivation during physical education and leisure time, as well as their perceived behavioral control, attitude, subjective norm, and intention toward physical activity. Physical activity was additionally measured physiologically for n = 240 students using accelerometers. Path model analyses revealed that the inclusion of mindfulness substantially improved the trans-contextual model fit. Perceived autonomy support positively predicted mindfulness, which, in turn, predicted autonomous motivation in physical education and leisure time, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Furthermore, mediation analyses revealed the significant indirect effects of mindfulness on physiological and self-reported physical activity. Based on these results, mindfulness can be considered a key factor in fostering students’ motivation to become physically active.

Understanding shifts in students’ academic motivation across a school year: the role of teachers’ motivating styles and need-based experiences

Students’ adaptive motivation to study tends to decrease over time. However, the reasons for this decline are not fully understood. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), we investigated whether changes in teachers’ motivating style and students’ associated need-based experiences could explain the motivational decline documented in the literature. A total of 472 Israeli seventh and eighth graders (in their first and second years of middle school) completed questionnaires at the beginning and end of the school year. Students reported their perceptions of their teachers’ (de)motivating styles (i.e., autonomy support, structure, control, and chaos), the extent to which their psychological needs were satisfied or frustrated, and their motivation to study. There was a significant decrease from the beginning to the end of the school year in 7th- and 8th-grade students’ perceptions of autonomy support and structure provided by their teachers, students' autonomous motivation, and their experienced need satisfaction. There was a significant increase from the beginning to the end of the school year in 7th and 8th graders’ perception of their teacher as chaotic and the students’ experience of need frustration, controlled motivation, and amotivation. A growth curve multilevel model (GCMLM) indicated that the perceived changes in teachers’ motivating and demotivating styles, together with the changes in the students' reported need-based experiences from the beginning to the end of the year, could account for these changes in students’ motivation. Teachers should develop and maintain a need-nurturing environment to prevent a drop in student motivation.

A longitudinal investigation of the role of perceived autonomy support from coaches in reducing athletes’ experiential avoidance: The mediating role of subjective vitality

Experiential avoidance, a personality trait that refers to individuals’ tendency to avoid negative experiences, can have a negative impact on athletes’ goal achievement. For this reason, it is crucial to identify the factors that can mitigate such a tendency. Drawing on self-determination theory and referring specifically to the function of subjective vitality, we first hypothesize that perceived autonomy support from coaches is positively associated with athletes’ subjective vitality, which in turn is negatively associated with athletes’ experiential avoidance. Data were collected from one hundred eighty-five high school athletes in Taiwan using a three-wave, time-lagged survey design spanning a period of seven months. These athletes were drawn from ten senior high schools and were in their second year of high school. The results of regression analysis showed that perceived autonomy support from coaches at Time 1 was associated with higher vitality among athletes at Time 2, which was, in turn, associated with lower levels of experiential avoidance at Time 3, conditional on the athletes’ experiential avoidance at Time 2. While perceived autonomy support from coaches at Time 1 was also associated with lower experiential avoidance at Time 2, experiential avoidance at Time 2 was not associated with vitality at Time 3 after controlling for vitality at Time 2. The results of mediation analysis further supported the claim that vitality is a critical mediator of the relationship between perceived autonomy support from coaches and athletes’ experiential avoidance. Implications concerning the identification of this mediator are discussed.