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On the same page in sporting dyads: does dissimilarity on 2 x 2 achievement goal constructs impair relationship
Ben Jackson1, Chris G Harwood, J Robert Grove
1School of Sport Science, Exercise, and Health, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.
Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology
|February 2, 2011
Summary
Understanding achievement goals in sports partnerships is key. Goal differences impact athlete relationship commitment and satisfaction, with mastery goals showing positive effects and performance-avoidance goals showing negative effects.
Area of Science:
- Sport Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Interpersonal Relationships
Background:
- Achievement goal theory (Elliot, 1999) provides a framework for understanding motivation in achievement contexts.
- Relational perceptions, such as commitment and satisfaction, are crucial for the success of dyadic partnerships.
- Athlete-athlete dyads, common in many sports, require effective interpersonal dynamics for optimal performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between 2x2 achievement goal constructs and relational perceptions within athlete-athlete dyads.
- To examine how goal similarity/dissimilarity influences relationship commitment and satisfaction in sports partnerships.
- To identify the specific roles of mastery-approach, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals in athlete relationships.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 82 regional-level athlete partnerships from various dyadic sports (e.g., tennis, badminton, rowing).
- Collected data from both members of each dyad regarding their achievement goals and relational perceptions.
- Employed actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) analyses to examine within-dyad relationships.
Main Results:
- Greater dissimilarity in mastery-approach and performance-approach goals was linked to lower relationship commitment and satisfaction.
- Mastery goals demonstrated positive actor effects on both commitment and satisfaction.
- Performance-avoidance goals showed negative actor and partner effects on commitment, and a negative partner effect on satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- Achievement goal constructs are significantly associated with interpersonal perceptions in athlete dyads.
- Goal congruence, particularly in mastery and performance-approach orientations, supports stronger relationship quality.
- Understanding and potentially aligning achievement goals may enhance commitment and satisfaction in sports partnerships.
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