Comparison of achievement motivation and its relationship with dimensions of aggressive behavior among athletes in individual versus team sports

Abstract

This study compared athletes' motivation for achieving success and examined its relationship with parameters of aggressive behavior among athletes in individual versus team sports. Methods. The participants were junior and adult athletes with extensive professional sports experience, aged 18–32 years (M = 24.47; Me = 24.50; SD = ± 4.11). Athletes were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n = 26; 50.98%) – individual sports, and Group 2 (n = 25; 49.02%) – team sports. Validated and reliable psychodiagnostic tools commonly used in sports research were used to measure the relevant variables. Results. A significant superiority (p ≤ .010) of athletes in individual sports over athletes in team sports was recorded in motivation for achieving success. This superiority can be explained by the fact that representatives of individual sports, including athletes in contact sports in the sample, have well-developed self-regulatory readiness, self-control, and a desire for achievements. A significant superiority of athletes in team sports was established in four aggressiveness parameters: “physical aggression” (p ≤ .050); “verbal aggression” (p ≤ .001); “indirect aggression” (p ≤ .050), and “irritability” (p ≤ .010). It was substantiated that even cohesive teamwork requires athletes to defend their boundaries and be confident in their safety. It actualizes the need for social recognition, which creates indicators for aggressive responses. We created a petal diagram of aggressive behavior among representatives of individual and team sports. The established correlations allowed us to state that verbal aggression is not a motivational resource for the total sample. A direct correlation between motivation for achieving success and physical aggression (p = .002) serves as a source of energy and perseverance for athletes in individual sports, increasing concentration and the desire to achieve the aim, provided that the values of physical aggression are not high. Notably, irritability (p = .041) is too dangerous for representatives of team sports since it causes destructive consequences, such as loss of self-control, conflicts, and low motivation in the long term. Discussion and conclusions. It was substantiated that comparing motivation for achieving success in the dimensions of the structure of aggressive behavior among athletes in individual and team sports is a confirmatory research, which is conducted using valid, reliable, and representative psychodiagnostic tools to establish significant direct and inverse correlations and identify significant differences between research variables.