Antecedents and Outcomes of Sports Coaches’ Interpersonal Behaviours: Examining External and Internal Control from a Self-Determination Theory Perspective.

Tuff, Rebecca (2020) Antecedents and Outcomes of Sports Coaches’ Interpersonal Behaviours: Examining External and Internal Control from a Self-Determination Theory Perspective. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the aim of this thesis was to examine the antecedents and outcomes of internally and externally controlling coach behaviours. Despite the known presence of controlling behaviours within sport, there has been an absence of research on these two controlling dimensions and their co-occurrence within a competitive environment. These limitations were addressed through three separate studies that included athletes and coaches from university sport clubs. Study 1 applied a Person-Centred Approach (PCA) to identify coaches’ perceptions of their combined use of autonomy-supportive, internally, and externally controlling behaviours, and associations with their basic psychological needs, motivation, and pressures within their working environment. Study 2 used a PCA to examine the three coaching behaviours from the athlete’s perspective, exploring their predictive utility for adaptive and maladaptive outcomes. Finally, study 3 investigated the relationships of negative athlete outcomes, with congruent and incongruent coach-athlete dyad perceptions of internally and externally controlling coach behaviours.

The emergence of a range of coach behaviour profiles in study 1 and 2 supports the importance of adopting a PCA to explore the distinct controlling dimensions; finding combinations of external control and autonomy-support were associated more positively with outcomes in comparison to the use of internal control. Study 2 and 3 revealed that moderate perceptions of internally and externally controlling coach behaviours were more positively associated with athlete outcomes, in contrast to lower perceptions. Therefore, implying that the different controlling coaching behaviours must always be considered and understood when identifying the most adaptive profile in relation to athlete being coached. Additionally, an initial indication of the need for future research to continue to explore relationships among congruent and incongruent coach-athlete dyad perceptions was supported. Across the three studies, support for the distinctive presence that both internal and external control have within the competitive sport environment was evident.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning
Depositing User:	Nicola Veasy
Date Deposited:	09 Nov 2022 15:16
Last Modified:	09 Nov 2022 15:16
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/89730
DOI:

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