On the correlation of psychological characteristics within recreational marathon runners

Abstract

Oschwald Miles, 2015. On the Correlation of Psychological Characteristics Within Recreational Marathon Runners. Master’s Thesis in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Department of Sport Science. University of Jyväskylä. University of Jyväskylä. 40 p.

The purpose of this research study was to explore the performance related experiences of recreational marathon runners. Specifically, the relationship these experiences have with other psychological constructs involved in undertaking and maintaining participation in a given sport. Using self-report measures the psychobiosocial states prior to most successful performances, achievement goal orientations, motivation and regulation for sport participation and cognitive competitive appraisals were all assessed. The measures were taken from study participants one or two days prior to an upcoming marathon performancemeasured included competitive appraisals, achievement goal orientations, motivation & and regulation in sport participation, and finally psychobiosocial state modalities prior to performance ..The scales used included the cognitive appraisals of competitive situations, task and ego orientations in sport questionnaire, the behavioral regulation in sport questionnaire, and the psychobiosocial scale . Participants included sixty seven marathon runners from two marathons within the state of Wisconsin, in the United States of America, during the summer of 2014. Data analyses included correlation data, both parametric and nonparametric. It was hypothesized based on previous literature within sport psychology that positive correlations would be established between challenge appraisal, task orientation, self-determined motivation and regulation, and both the intensity and impact scores of the theoretically helpful psychobiosocial states. Significant correlations were found, many of which were in line with previous research relating the variables of interest with each other in competitive sport settings. In the opposite direction, it was hypothesized that a negative correlation would be established between threat appraisal, ego orientation, controlled regulation and amotivation, and both the intensity and impact scores of the theoretically helpful psychobiosocial states. The results supported the hypotheses concerning the positive correlations, establishing positive correlations between challenge appraisals, task orientation, and self-directed motivation and regulation with both the intensity and impact scores of the theoretically helpful psychobiosocial states prior to most successful performance, with correlations being small to moderate in size. Notably, statistical significance was established in all but one of these correlations, with that correlation being between identified regulation and impact score of theoretically helpful psychobiosocial states prior to most successful performance, which was positive, but not statistically significant. In the opposite direction, the results did not completely support the hypotheses proposed concerning the expected negative correlations. Threat appraisal was negatively correlated with both theoretically helpful psychobiosocial states intensity and impact scores, but only statistically significant with the impact scores. The correlations between ego orientation and theoretically helpful psychobiosocial states intensity and impact scores were both close to zero, rather than negative as hypothesized. Lastly, the correlations between controlled regulation and amotivation and theoretically helpful psychobiosocial states intensity and impact scores were negative, but none were statistically significant. The results suggest that from a coaching or sport psychologist’s standpoint, which includes sharing in meaning making for athletes, runners can and should be better informed on the typical interaction of psychological characteristics within recreational marathon runners, and could use this information to better work towards making adaptive changes.