Goal orientation, evaluative fear, and perceived coach behavior among competitive youth swimmers in Germany and Japan

Abstract

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to compare youth athletes from two culturally distinct nations (Germany and Japan) on key aspects of their psychological make-up (goal orientation, fear of evaluation) and perceived coach support. Design: Data were obtained with questionnaires distributed during a training session and analyzed with regression as well as multivariate and univariate analyses of variance. Method: There were 56 German (30 female, 26 male) and 117 Japanese (60 female, 57 male) swimmers with a mean age of 13.2 (SD = 2.0) and 14.1 (SD = 1.8) years, respectively. All of the athletes participated regularly in high-level competitions. Results: As hypothesized, the German athletes were more task than ego oriented and more task focused than the Japanese, whereas the latter group had higher ego orientation scores than the German swimmers and put similar emphasis on both task and ego concerns. Contrary to expectations, however, there were no differences between the national cohorts in evaluative fear. The Japanese swimmers perceived their training climates to be more competition oriented than did the German participants. In terms of coach-athlete interactions, the German athletes reported significantly more instruction, positive feedback, and social support than the Japanese. Coach variables contributed significantly to the Japanese participants' feelings of satisfaction, with no such correlations in the German sample. Conclusions: Results are interpreted through cultural traditions and may be partly explained by differences in individualism. Practical recommendations for coaches and consultants are offered in light of the research findings. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.