Factores determinantes de la motivación en atletas veteranos españoles

Precompetitive anxiety profiles in runners: Differences in the running motives

The study aimed to identify precompetitive anxiety profiles and analyze the impact of those profiles in their reasons to adhere to running. A sample of 473 Spanish Amateur Athletes participated in the study. Results revealed the emergence of three profiles: (a) a high precompetitive anxiety profile characterized by high cognitive and somatic anxiety and low self-confidence; (b) a precompetitive medium-low anxiety profile characterized by medium-low scores in cognitive and somatic anxiety and medium self-confidence; (c) a precompetitive low anxiety profile characterized by low scores in cognitive and somatic anxiety and medium self-confidence. Results showed that most of the working runners, who participate in ten-kilometer races, who practice three days a week, and most experienced runners, belonged to the extremely low anxiety profile. In conclusion, the precompetitive low anxiety profile reported the most suited outcomes which mean that is a more adaptive profile.

Study of the Motivation of Spanish Amateur Runners Based on Training Patterns and Gender

The objectives of the present study are to analyze the different training patterns of the amateur runners, according to their gender, and to find out a correlation between the training pattern and the motivation. The sample was composed of 457 amateur runners. For the collection of data, a two-part questionnaire was used. The first part consisted of questions about sporting and healthy patterns and the second part consisted of the Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ), adapted to Spanish. The obtained results indicated that their motives for starting to practice running and to continue their involvement are health and fun. The training pattern is as follows: they practise one to three days per week, running from three to five hours overall plus additional stretching and high intensity training. They participated in less than one running event per month. Most of them did not belong to an athletic club, did not have a coach, were not federated and have more than four years’ experience of running. What concerns the gender differences, the men trained more than the women, and they did it with relatives and friends; women preferred to do it with friends or by themselves with the assistance of a coach. Age and running hours per week were the best variables to predict the task goal orientation, especially for men. For women, training hours per week predicted the goal orientation but to the ego. This finding could be especially helpful for coaches. A high number of training hours for men was linked with a task goal orientation, and on the other hand, for women it meant an ego goal orientation. The consequences of their behaviours were likely to be markedly different.

Motivation, Anxiety, and Emotional Intelligence Are Associated with the Practice of Contact and Non-Contact Sports: An Explanatory Model

(1) Background: Several studies have shown that high anxiety impairs sport performance, making it important to develop strategies which improve the emotional self-regulation of athletes. The present study analyzed the relationship between emotional intelligence, motivational climate in sport, and anxiety according to participation in contact or non-contact sports, using multi-group structural equation modeling; (2) Methods: This research was conducted with a sample of 371 semi-professional athletes from Spain. The main variables were emotional intelligence, motivational climate in sport, and anxiety. A multi-group path analysis was developed and demonstrated acceptable fit (χ2 = 418.60; df = 46; p < 0.001; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.959; Normalized Fit Index (NFI) = 0.955; Incremental Fit Index (IFI) = 0.959; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.063); (3) Results: A negative association was identified between task-oriented climate and ego-oriented climate. Moreover, there was a positive relationship between task-oriented climate and emotional intelligence, which was strongest in individuals participating in non-contact sports. The relationship between ego-oriented climate and emotional intelligence was less evident. Furthermore, both state anxiety and trait anxiety were negatively correlated with emotional intelligence; (4) Conclusions: The key conclusion from the present research is that task-oriented motivational climates positively influence levels of emotional intelligence and anxiety, especially in contact sports. It is important to encourage the development of self-determined motivational climates in order to avoid emotional states which can hinder performance.