A Review of Controlling Motivational Strategies from a Self-Determination Theory Perspective: Implications for Sports Coaches

The aim of this paper is to present a preliminary taxonomy of six controlling strategies, primarily based on the parental and educational literatures, which we believe are employed by coaches in sport contexts. Research in the sport and physical education literature has primarily focused on coaches’ autonomysupportive behaviours. Surprisingly, there has been very little research on the use of controlling strategies. A brief overview of the research which delineates each proposed strategy is presented, as are examples of the potential manifestation of the behaviours associated with each strategy in the context of sports coaching. In line with self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2002), we propose that coach behaviours employed to pressure or control athletes have the potential to thwart athletes’ feelings of autonomy, competence,and relatedness, which, in turn, undermine athletes’ self-determined motivation and contribute to the development of controlled motives. When athletes feel pressured to behave in a certain way, a variety of negative consequences are expected to ensue which are to the detriment of the athletes’ well-being. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness and interest in the darker side of sport participation and to offer suggestions for future research in this area

Philosophical Underpinnings of Coaching Practice Research

Research on coaching practice has mainly been undertaken through the disciplines of psychology and sociology. Very little scrutiny has been given to the philosophical underpinnings of these disciplinary positions and how they impact on research outputs in terms of descriptions and prescriptions. This article presents an overview of some of the most cited empirical research on coaching practice and shows how discipline and meta-theory have influenced a priori the results generated. Psychological approaches informed by scientism, and sociological approaches informed by interpretivism, present a dichotomized view of coaching practice, for example, concerning its relative simplicity and order. Yet these distinct disciplinary contributions remain important to the development of the field if it is understood that they contribute different layers of information and do different types of work. Once we have the meta-theoretical tools in place the results of this pluralism can be positioned and utilized. © 2013 Copyright National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE)

Facteurs psychosociaux des attitudes alimentaires déséquilibrées en contexte sportif : une revue de littérature

International audienceThe prevalence of eating disorders is particularly high in high-level sports, especially endurance sports, sports with weight categories and aesthetic sports. This review of the literature examines the prevalence of eating disorders and the psychosocial factors that are most apt to influence the development of these disorders in athletes of aesthetic sports. Although some factors are similar to those identified in studies of the general population, others appear to be quite specific to the social context and achievement norms of sport. For example, the emergence of eating disorders in sports judged on aesthetic criteria is strongly determined by the quality of the athlete's relationship with the coach and by perceived ability.La prévalence des désordres alimentaires est particulièrement importante dans le contexte du sport de haut niveau, en particulier dans les sports d'endurance, les sportsà catégorie de poids et les sports esthétiques. Dans cette revue de littérature, sont abordés la prévalence des désordres alimentaires en sport et les facteurs psychosociaux les plusà mêmes d'influencer le développement de ces désordres chez les sportifs engagés dans des sportsà caractère esthétique. Si certains facteurs sont similairesà ceux identifiés dans l'étude des désordres alimentaires dans la population générale, d'autres apparaissent spécifiques au contexte social et aux normes d'accomplissement sportifs. Par exemple, l'émergence des désordres alimentaires dans les sports jugés sur des critères esthétiques sont fortement déterminés par la qualité de la relation sociale avec l'entraîneur, ou avec l'ami(e) en sport, et par l'habileté perçue

Etude comparative des modalités d'interaction entraîneur-athlètes en tir à l'arc masculin et en judo féminin de haut niveau

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The Perceived Effectiveness of Interactions Between Expert French Judo Coaches and Elite Female Athletes

International audienceCoaches' and athletes' perceptions regarding their effective interactions and the underlying factors and reasons for effectiveness of these interactions were examined. An in-depth interview process was conducted with three expert judo coaches and six elite athletes. Qualitative data analyses revealed that the interaction style of the coaches was authoritative and was put into operation using the following six strategies: stimulating interpersonal rivalry, provoking athletes verbally, displaying indifference, entering into direct conflict, developing specific team cohesion, and showing preferences. Perceived autonomy, the main interaction style of athletes, was expressed by the following five strategies: showing diplomacy, achieving exceptional performance, soliciting coaches directly, diversifying information sources, and bypassing conventional rules. Results demonstrated the compatibility of particular interactions between coaches' and athletes' strategies. Theoretical models from in-dustriaVorganizational psychology are used to interpret these results, which differ from conventional findings in the sport psychology literature

Coach-Athlete Interaction during Elite Archery Competitions: An Application of Methodological Frameworks Used in Ergonomics Research to Sport Psychology

International audienceThis study analyzed the temporal and contextual organization of coach-athlete interactions in elite archery competitions. In light of the course of action theoretical framework (Theureau, 1992) from ergonomics research, action was conceived as situated (i.e., closely linked to ecological constraints) and was studied at the level at which it is significant for the actor. One expert archery coach and four elite athletes were observed and videotaped during two competitions. The coach's and athletes' verbalizations were also recorded during self-confrontation interviews immediately after each competition. Data processing consisted of: (a) transcribing the coach's and athletes' actions, communication, and self-confrontation data; (b) decomposing action into elementary units of meaning; (c) identifying coherence and similarities of sequences; and (d) examining the coordination of the courses of action of the coach and athlete. The coach's course of action was characterized by respect for the athletes' autonomy, analysis of performance decrements, and emergency interventions. The athletes' courses of action were characterized by autonomy and help-seeking. The coach's and athletes' collective courses of action showed that cooperation within the dyad was either immediate, due to shared perceptions, or was constructed through negotiation. This study outlines the situated and constructed nature of coach-athlete cooperation, and suggests the value of such frameworks from ergonomics, for coaching, and counselling

COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES AMONG ELITE FEMALE GYMNASTS: AN EXPLORATION OF THE RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS TRAINING AND NATURAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES

International audienceThe purposes of this qualitative study were, (a) to compare the competitive strategiesdeveloped by national and international female gymnasts through natural learningexperiences, (b) to compare the competitive strategies used by national gymnasts whobenefited from a psychological skills training (PST) program to those developed byinternational gymnasts via natural learning experiences, and (c) to investigate thefunctions these strategies served in the two aforementioned cases. Individual in-depthinterviews were conducted with three international and six national gymnasts. Three ofthe six national gymnasts followed a PST, whereas the other three did not. Theinternational gymnasts never benefited from PST neither before nor during the study.The results indicated that the strategies developed through natural experiences overtime by the international gymnasts were wider and more elaborate than those of theirnational counterparts, but akin to those used by the national gymnasts who hadbenefited from a PST. The specific consequences of the characteristics of theinternational context and psychological skills training on the strategies gymnastselaborated were also highlighted. Results are discussed relative to research ondeliberate practice and sport talent development (Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Romer,1993)