Clancy_2016_review.pdf (217.4 kB)
A review of competitive sport motivation research
journal contribution
posted on 2017-11-08, 15:45 authored by Rachel B. Clancy, Matthew P. Herring, Tadhg E. MacIntyre, Mark J. CampbellObjectives: The purpose of this review was to synthesise contemporary research on competitive sport
motivation (1995e2016) with a view to identifying trends and gaps in sample characteristics, research
designs and analytical strategies, and classifying associated topics.
Design: Narrative review.
Method: Four databases were searched using a focused search strategy, leading to 63 studies that met
the inclusion criteria. These were then evaluated in five sections: Theoretical Frameworks, Sample Characteristics,
Research Designs, Analytical Strategies and Topics.
Results: A total of 63 studies comprising 12,440 participants were appraised. The average sample size
and participant age were 197 and 22.6 years, respectively. Just over half of the studies described their
sample as high-level. The majority of studies were quantitative and employed a cross-sectional design. A
range of innovative statistical analyses were used, with structural equation modelling being increasingly
adopted. In addition to studies focusing on motivation as a stand-alone topic, researchers in the area also
investigated its relationship with motivational climate, burnout, doping, perfectionism, injury, and
several other related variables.
Conclusions: After reviewing the body of research on this specific topic area, promising directions for
future research are presented. The focused approach particularly seeks to encourage researchers to
employ different methodologies, and prioritise underused topics in future research on competitive
athlete groups. Furthermore, the review points to several practical implications for competitive sport
stakeholders.
Funding
History
Publication
Psychology of Sport and Exercise;27, pp. 232-242Publisher
ElsevierNote
peer-reviewedOther Funding information
IRCRights
This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Psychology of Sport and Exercise. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Psychology of Sport and Exercie, 2016, 27, pp. 232-42, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2016.09.003Language
EnglishExternal identifier
Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedLicence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC