The relationship between coaching environment and athlete attributional style

<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>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Exercise and Sport Science

Grantor dc:publisher

Eastern Kentucky University

Year

2015

Author dc:creator

• Britton, Una

• attributional style
• coaching behavior
• college athletics
• cross-country/track & field
• Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
• Psychology

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2015 Una Britton

Repository record dc:identifier

https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/243

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:encompass.eku.edu:etd-1241