Gymnastik- och idrottshögskolan, GIH

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Early specialisation among Swedish aesthetic performers: exploring motivation and perceptions of parental influence
Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, Department of Movement, Culture and Society.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7937-5918
Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, Department of Movement, Culture and Society.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9965-0123
Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, Department of Physical Activity and Health.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3428-6900
2022 (English)In: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, ISSN 1612-197X, E-ISSN 1557-251X, Vol. 20, no 4, p. 1013-1032Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Early specialisation is largely advised against, partly due to the postulated negative motivational implications. However, early specialisation is commonly considered necessary for high-level performance in aesthetic activities, such as gymnastics and dance. The present study, therefore, explores the relationship between motivation and early specialisation in a sample of Swedish aesthetic performers, from a self-determination theory perspective. The aims of this study were twofold: (1) to identify whether early specialisation is associated with motivation (autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and dropout intentions) within a sample of aesthetic performers, and (2) to investigate if such relationships are moderated by perceptions of parental influence. Two hundred and ninety high-level aesthetic performers (M=15.88 years old, SD=2.34; 83% female) were recruited from Swedish clubs and schools to complete a questionnaire pack. The questionnaire pack included questions concerning demographic information, specialisation history, motivation, dropout intentions, and perceptions of parental influence. The results of our analyses do not support the claims that early specialisation is associated with negative motivational implications. In fact, the results show that those who reported a higher degree of specialisation ≤ 12 years old reported less controlled motivation than those who reported a lesser degree of early specialisation. Additionally, perceptions of parental influence were not found to moderate the relationship between early specialisation and motivation. These results are discussed in relation to the growing critique regarding the conceptualisation and measurement of early specialisation in sport literature.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Routledge, 2022. Vol. 20, no 4, p. 1013-1032
National Category
Sport and Fitness Sciences Applied Psychology
Research subject
Social Sciences/Humanities
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:gih:diva-6739DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2021.1940239ISI: 000662815700001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:gih-6739DiVA, id: diva2:1574055
Funder
Swedish National Centre for Research in Sports, P2017- 0071Available from: 2021-06-28 Created: 2021-06-28 Last updated: 2022-09-20

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Downing, CharlotteRedelius, KarinNordin-Bates, Sanna

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