Predicting the motivational climate among peers, through the psychological characteristics of young handball players

Abstract

The aim of the study was to predict the perception of the motivational climate generated by teammates, based on the psychological characteristics associated with performance in young handball players. For this purpose, a non-experimental study was carried out according to a non-probability sample of 149 handball players from different clubs in the Region of Murcia (87 men and 62 women), with an average age of 15.11±1.03. The questionnaire on Psychological Characteristics Related to Sport Performance (CPRD) and the Peer Motivational Climate in Youth Sport Questionnaire (PeerMCYSQ) were used. An analysis of correlations and predictive models (multiple regression) was carried out. The results showed that as effort in stress management, performance assessment and sports experience increase, the perception of a task-motivated climate among peers also increases. As mental ability increases, so does the perception of a motivational climate to the ego. These results suggest the relevance of peer-generated motivation, focused on fostering a climate of involvement in the task, reinforced by the resources for team cohesion and subjective self-regulation that are created among young athletes.