The dynamic nature of daily affect and its relation to role perceptions in youth sport

Given the salience of emotions in sport and their connectedness to the dynamic environment surrounding athletes, this study explored how daily variation in affect was related to role perceptions in interdependent sport teams. We examined (a) the daily within-person variance of positive and negative affect and (b) how variations in role satisfaction and clarity related to daily fluctuations in positive and negative affect. Using ecological momentary assessment, 110 youth ice hockey players (aged 14-17 years) completed daily self-report questionnaires through a smartphone application. Athletes provided an average of 8.15 responses (N = 896 observations) pertaining to positive affect (excited, proud, determined), negative affect (irritable, upset, distressed), and perceptions of role satisfaction and clarity within their teams. Data were analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling. Intraclass correlation coefficients showed substantial variance in daily affect at both within- (45.9 %-62.7 %) and between-person (37.3 %-49.7 %) levels. The within-person associations showed that role perceptions and affect fluctuated together across time-points. Athletes reported higher positive affect (β = 0.25, p < .001, 95 % CI [0.14, 0.36]) and lower negative affect (β = -0.28, p < .001, 95 % CI [-0.42, -0.14]) on days when they had higher-than-average levels of role satisfaction. They also reported higher positive affect (β = 0.23, p < .001, 95 % CI [0.11, 0.41]) and lower negative affect (β = -0.30, p < .001, 95 % CI [-0.45, -0.15]) on days when they reported higher-than-average levels of role clarity. These findings reinforce the variability of affective experiences and emphasize the important associations with group-related phenomena such as role perceptions.