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Relationships between attributions and emotions in a laboratory-based sporting contest
1Physical Education Association Research Centre, School of Education, University of Exeter, Devon, UK.
Journal of Sports Sciences
|February 1, 1992
Summary
Attributions for sports outcomes significantly predict emotions post-competition. Internal attributions are key, but performance satisfaction and outcome importance also influence winners' positive self-esteem.
Area of Science:
- Sports Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Attributions, or explanations for outcomes, are theorized to influence emotions.
- Understanding these links is crucial for athlete well-being and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between attributions and emotions following a competitive sports event.
- To identify predictors of emotional states in athletes after winning or losing.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory-based one-vs-one fencing contests were conducted.
- Participants completed questionnaires measuring importance of winning, attributions for outcome, emotions, and satisfaction.
- Factor analysis and multiple regression were used for data analysis.
Main Results:
- Three emotion factors emerged: positive self-esteem, depression-frustration, and intropunitiveness.
- Internal attributions were strongly related to emotional factors.
- For winners, positive self-esteem was predicted by satisfaction, importance, and attributions; depression-frustration by attributions.
- For losers, positive self-esteem was predicted by attributions.
Conclusions:
- Attributions and emotions are linked after sports competition.
- Non-attribution variables, such as satisfaction and outcome importance, also play a role in predicting sport-related emotions.
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