Can't we all just get along? The impact of goal orientation on the coach-athlete relationship and coach-athlete communication

Author

Meredith J. Nordbrock, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Committee Chair

Weathington, Bart L.

Committee Member

Cunningham, Christopher J. L.; O'Leary, Brian J.

Department

Dept. of Psychology

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that the coach-athlete relationship is one of the key interpersonal factors that influences outcomes such as performance (Sánchez, Borrás, Leite, Battaglia, & Lorenzo, 2009), satisfaction with performance (Jowett & Don Carolis, 2003), and dropout rates (Fraser-Thomas, Côté, & Deakin, 2008). However, relatively little is known about the factors necessary to achieve and/or maintain a high-quality coach-athlete relationship. Building upon Jowett and Poczwardowski’s (2007) integrated research model, this study of 355 coach-athlete dyads explored how congruence (i.e., similarity, fit) of goal orientation (GO) impacted the quality of the coach-athlete relationship and coach-athlete communication. Specifically, it was hypothesized that congruence between coach and athlete goal orientations (mastery, performance-approach, performance- avoid) would be positively related to both variables of interest. Using polynomial regression and response surface analysis, results indicated that goal orientation congruence is an important determinant in both the quality of the coach-athlete relationship and coach-athlete communication. Implications for coaches and athletes based on the magnitude and direction of goal orientation congruence/incongruence are discussed. The importance of the method and measures used to assess congruence is also discussed.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

5-2013

Subject

Coach-athlete relationships

Discipline

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

x, 80 leaves

Language

English

Rights

https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

Recommended Citation

Nordbrock, Meredith J., "Can't we all just get along? The impact of goal orientation on the coach-athlete relationship and coach-athlete communication" (2013). Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations.
https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/348