Implicit motives and basic need satisfaction in extreme endurance sports

Area of Science:

• Sport Psychology
• Psychology of Motivation

Background:

• Basic psychological needs satisfaction influences flow experience in sports.
• Implicit motives moderate the relationship between needs and flow.
• Previous studies focused on leisure and health-oriented sports.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interaction of implicit achievement and affiliation motives with need satisfaction in predicting flow and well-being.
• To examine these dynamics specifically in extreme endurance athletes.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a pilot study and a main study with a total of 122 participants (N = 29, 93).
• Assessed implicit achievement and affiliation motives.
• Measured satisfaction of the need for competence and the need for social relatedness.
• Examined flow experience, positive affect, and exercise addiction.

Main Results:

• High achievement motivation amplified the positive effect of competence satisfaction on flow.
• High affiliation motivation, coupled with satisfied social relatedness, led to greater positive affect and lower exercise addiction.
• These findings highlight motive-specific benefits of need satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• The interplay between implicit motives and basic psychological needs significantly impacts flow and well-being in extreme endurance sports.
• Achievement and affiliation motives differentially influence outcomes like flow, positive affect, and exercise addiction.
• Results extend understanding of motivational processes in sport psychology beyond previous research contexts.