Determinants of Individual and Team Efficacy Beliefs of Adolescent Rowers

Previous sport psychology research has identified both goal orientations and perceptions of motivational climate as significant predictors of individual confidence/efficacy beliefs in sport (Magyar & Duda, 2000; Magyar & Feltz, 2001). However, research has yet to examine the influence of personal and situational determinants of sport team efficacy beliefs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of goal orientations and perceptions of motivational climate on self-efficacy beliefs of individual rowers in conjunction with their individual perceptions of team-efficacy. We hypothesized that task orientation and perceptions of mastery climate would be positively associated with both individual and team efficacy. Ego orientation and perceptions of performance climate were expected to be negatively associated with individual and team efficacy. Participants were 173 competitive male and female rowers ages 13 to 18 years (M=16.15 SD=1.28). Athletes completed the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ; Duda & Nicholls, 1992) and a modified version of the Perceptions of Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire -2 (M-PMCSQ-2; Newton & Duda, 1993). Based on the recommendations of Bandura (1997), individual and team efficacy measures specific to the sport of rowing were developed and found to be internally consistent (individual efficacy alpha=.96, team efficacy alpha=.98). Analysis of mean scores revealed that these athletes were high in task orientation and perceived greater levels of a mastery climate. Zero order correlations revealed task orientation and perceptions of mastery climate were positively associated with individual and team efficacy, whereas perceptions of performance climate were negatively associated with individual and team efficacy. Perceptions of mastery climate significantly predicted individual self-efficacy beliefs (b=.37, p=.000, Adj. R²=.18). After controlling for the impact of individual efficacy beliefs (b=.65, p=.000, Adj. R²=.50), perceptions of mastery climate also significantly predicted team efficacy (b=.41, p=.000, Adj. R²=.11). Therefore, coaches of team sports, such as rowing, should consider establishing a mastery-involved climate when attempting to develop athletes’ individual efficacy beliefs and, perhaps more importantly, the athletes’ efficacy in the collective ability of their crew to perform successfully.
Keyword(s): coaching, research, youth sports