This study examined the relationship between attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors in collegiate cross-country/track and field athletes in the USA and Ireland. Participants included seventy-three collegiate athletes (Ireland: n = 24 male, n = 18 female, mean ± SD age: 20.39 ± 1.61 years. USA: n = 9 male, n = 22 female, mean ± SD age: 21.02 ± 2.18 years). Participants completed the Sport Attributional Style Scale (SASS; Hanrahan et al., 1989) and the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS; Chelladurai & Selah, 1980) to assess attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors. Explanatory pessimism, total internality, stability, and globality were calculated from the SASS for both countries. Total dimension scores for five coaching behaviors (training/instruction, democratic, autocratic, social, and positive feedback) were calculated from the LSS. Significant differences were not found between countries for attribution dimensions (p > .05). Mean explanatory pessimism was 111.29 ±13.2 and 106.42 ± 10.7 for Ireland- and US-based athletes respectively (p = .948; p > .05). A significant difference was found for perceived democratic behavior between countries (p = .0006; p < .05). Significant positive correlations (p < .05) were found in the Ireland group for training/instruction and stability, and in the USA group for social and stability, and positive feedback and stability. Significant negative correlations (p < .05) were found in the Ireland group for democratic and internality, and autocratic and stability. Significant between-country differences (p < .05) were found for democratic and internality, autocratic and stability, and positive feedback and stability. Marginal between-country differences (p < .10) were seen for training/instruction and stability, training/instruction and globality, and autocratic and internality. Ireland-based athletes had higher perceptions of democratic behaviors than US-based athletes. There were no differences in attributional dimension scores between countries. Significant differences between countries for relationships between coaching behaviors and attribution dimensions existed.
References: Chelladurai & Selah, 1980, Hanrahan et al., 1989
","abstract_html":"<p>This study examined the relationship between attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors in collegiate cross-country/track and field athletes in the USA and Ireland. Participants included seventy-three collegiate athletes (Ireland: n = 24 male, n = 18 female, mean ± SD age: 20.39 ± 1.61 years. USA: n = 9 male, n = 22 female, mean ± SD age: 21.02 ± 2.18 years). Participants completed the Sport Attributional Style Scale (SASS; Hanrahan et al., 1989) and the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS; Chelladurai & Selah, 1980) to assess attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors. Explanatory pessimism, total internality, stability, and globality were calculated from the SASS for both countries. Total dimension scores for five coaching behaviors (training/instruction, democratic, autocratic, social, and positive feedback) were calculated from the LSS. Significant differences were not found between countries for attribution dimensions (p > .05). Mean explanatory pessimism was 111.29 ±13.2 and 106.42 ± 10.7 for Ireland- and US-based athletes respectively (p = .948; p > .05). A significant difference was found for perceived democratic behavior between countries (p = .0006; p < .05). Significant positive correlations (p < .05) were found in the Ireland group for training/instruction and stability, and in the USA group for social and stability, and positive feedback and stability. Significant negative correlations (p < .05) were found in the Ireland group for democratic and internality, and autocratic and stability. Significant between-country differences (p < .05) were found for democratic and internality, autocratic and stability, and positive feedback and stability. Marginal between-country differences (p < .10) were seen for training/instruction and stability, training/instruction and globality, and autocratic and internality. Ireland-based athletes had higher perceptions of democratic behaviors than US-based athletes. There were no differences in attributional dimension scores between countries. Significant differences between countries for relationships between coaching behaviors and attribution dimensions existed. </p> <p>References: Chelladurai & Selah, 1980, Hanrahan et al., 1989 </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Britton, Una"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Exercise and Sport Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:25Z","subjects":["attributional style","coaching behavior","college athletics","cross-country/track & field","Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms","Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2015 Una Britton"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/243","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Britton, Una"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Exercise and Sport Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["attributional style","coaching behavior","college athletics","cross-country/track & field","Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms","Psychology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2015 Una Britton"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/243"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study examined the relationship between attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors in collegiate cross-country/track and field athletes in the USA and Ireland. Participants included seventy-three collegiate athletes (Ireland: n = 24 male, n = 18 female, mean ± SD age: 20.39 ± 1.61 years. USA: n = 9 male, n = 22 female, mean ± SD age: 21.02 ± 2.18 years). Participants completed the Sport Attributional Style Scale (SASS; Hanrahan et al., 1989) and the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS; Chelladurai & Selah, 1980) to assess attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors. Explanatory pessimism, total internality, stability, and globality were calculated from the SASS for both countries. Total dimension scores for five coaching behaviors (training/instruction, democratic, autocratic, social, and positive feedback) were calculated from the LSS. Significant differences were not found between countries for attribution dimensions (p > .05). Mean explanatory pessimism was 111.29 ±13.2 and 106.42 ± 10.7 for Ireland- and US-based athletes respectively (p = .948; p > .05). A significant difference was found for perceived democratic behavior between countries (p = .0006; p < .05). Significant positive correlations (p < .05) were found in the Ireland group for training/instruction and stability, and in the USA group for social and stability, and positive feedback and stability. Significant negative correlations (p < .05) were found in the Ireland group for democratic and internality, and autocratic and stability. Significant between-country differences (p < .05) were found for democratic and internality, autocratic and stability, and positive feedback and stability. Marginal between-country differences (p < .10) were seen for training/instruction and stability, training/instruction and globality, and autocratic and internality. Ireland-based athletes had higher perceptions of democratic behaviors than US-based athletes. There were no differences in attributional dimension scores between countries. Significant differences between countries for relationships between coaching behaviors and attribution dimensions existed.
References: Chelladurai & Selah, 1980, Hanrahan et al., 1989
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The relationship between coaching environment and athlete attributional style"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Britton, Una"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study examined the relationship between attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors in collegiate cross-country/track and field athletes in the USA and Ireland. Participants included seventy-three collegiate athletes (Ireland: n = 24 male, n = 18 female, mean ± SD age: 20.39 ± 1.61 years. USA: n = 9 male, n = 22 female, mean ± SD age: 21.02 ± 2.18 years). Participants completed the Sport Attributional Style Scale (SASS; Hanrahan et al., 1989) and the Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS; Chelladurai & Selah, 1980) to assess attributional style and perceived coaching behaviors. Explanatory pessimism, total internality, stability, and globality were calculated from the SASS for both countries. Total dimension scores for five coaching behaviors (training/instruction, democratic, autocratic, social, and positive feedback) were calculated from the LSS. Significant differences were not found between countries for attribution dimensions (p > .05). Mean explanatory pessimism was 111.29 ±13.2 and 106.42 ± 10.7 for Ireland- and US-based athletes respectively (p = .948; p > .05). A significant difference was found for perceived democratic behavior between countries (p = .0006; p < .05). Significant positive correlations (p < .05) were found in the Ireland group for training/instruction and stability, and in the USA group for social and stability, and positive feedback and stability. Significant negative correlations (p < .05) were found in the Ireland group for democratic and internality, and autocratic and stability. Significant between-country differences (p < .05) were found for democratic and internality, autocratic and stability, and positive feedback and stability. Marginal between-country differences (p < .10) were seen for training/instruction and stability, training/instruction and globality, and autocratic and internality. Ireland-based athletes had higher perceptions of democratic behaviors than US-based athletes. There were no differences in attributional dimension scores between countries. Significant differences between countries for relationships between coaching behaviors and attribution dimensions existed.
References: Chelladurai & Selah, 1980, Hanrahan et al., 1989
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/243"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2015 Una Britton"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["attributional style","coaching behavior","college athletics","cross-country/track & field","Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms","Psychology"],"dc:title":["The relationship between coaching environment and athlete attributional style"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Exercise and Sport Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:25Z"}