Conflict strategies, achievement goals and motivational climate in sport

The 12th ISSP World Congress of Sport Psychology

Athanasios G. Papaioannou1, George Doxakis2,

Wikke Van Stam3, Frank Bakker3

1 University of Thessaly

2 Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki

3 VU University of Amsterdam

Objectives: It was hypothesized that predominant

achievement goals in sport correspond to different

patterns of athletes’ and coaches’ conflict resolution

strategies. Accordingly, the present studies examined

the association of (1) achievement goals and conflict

strategies of professional athletes, and (2) athletes’

perceptions of coach-initiated motivational climate and

coaches’ conflict strategies.

Methods: In the first study 238 professional basketball

players completed measures of achievement goals and

conflict strategies. In the second study, 237 volleyball

athletes completed measures of perceived motivational

climate and conflict strategies adopted by their coaches.

Results: Factor analyses revealed the following conflict

strategies: integration, tolerance, compromise,

avoidance, third party mediation, emotional expression,

dominance and offensiveness. A factor structure with

similar connotations emerged with regard to perceptions

of coaches’ conflict strategies. Mastery goals and

climates corresponded positively to integration and

negatively to offensiveness. Performance approach

goals and climates corresponded positively to

dominance and emotional expression. Performance

avoidance goals and climates corresponded positively to

dominance, offensiveness and third party mediation and

negatively to integration.

Conclusions: The adoption of high mastery and low

performance oriented goals from coaches and athletes

might facilitate mutual understanding and reduce

conflicts between team members. Future research

should examine whether particular conflict resolution

strategies determine team motivational climate and the

vice versa.