Abstract
Objectives: Grounded in attachment theory and self determination theory, this study aimed to examine whether basic needs satisfaction is a mechanism by which athletes’ insecure attachment styles are associated with levels of well-being.
Method: Athletes (N ¼ 430) from a range of sports and competition levels completed a multi-section questionnaire to assess the main variables of the study.
Results: Bootstrap mediation analysis revealed that athletes’ perceptions of satisfaction of basic psychological needs generally mediated the association between their attachment styles and well-being.
Moreover, the indirect effect of athletes’ experience of the satisfaction of basic needs on well-being was greater within the parental relational context than within the coaching relational context.
Conclusions: Overall, the findings from the study highlight that the integration of attachment and selfdetermination theories can promote understanding of relational process in sport.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 57-65 |
Journal | Psychology of Sport and Exercise |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2013 |
Keywords
- attachment
- well-being
- basic psychological needs
- parents
- coaches