A Proposal For An Explanatory Model Of Psychological Well-Being Within The Context Of Sport

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test a theoretical model that would explain psychological well-being within the contexts of sport. The model hypothesised the influence of the perceived task motivation climate, perceived emotional intelligence, task orientation and intrinsic motivation on psychological well-being. The participants were 399 Spanish athletes, 281 of whom were male and 118 female. Structural equation modelling showed that perceived emotional intelligence partially mediated the relationship between task motivational climate and task orientation, in which task orientation influenced intrinsic motivation and in turn, intrinsic motivation influenced psychological well-being. Furthermore, perceived emotional intelligence directly influenced psychological well-being. The model was invariant across two sport settings: amateur versus professional athletes. The findings are discussed within the framework of the self-determination and achievement goal theories.