Goal orientations and perceived purposes of training among elite athletes

The goal perspective theories of motivated behavior are primarily concerned with the social, psychological, and behavioral antecedents and consequences of two goal perspectives of task orientation and ego orientation. According to Nicholls, goal perspectives may also influence the way individuals perceive the purpose of their involvement in achievement contexts. This study examined among elite athletes the relation of goal orientations to perceived purposes of their involvement in training. Canonical correlation analysis showed that ego-oriented athletes strongly endorsed status reasons for participation in training, whereas those task-involved reported a high preference for social purposes. The results suggest that the personal utility value of practicing in sport as perceived by elite athletes to some extent is different dependent upon their motivational goal perspectives.