The Relationship Between Mental Toughness, Goal Orientation and Motivational Climate Levels of Professional Football Players

Abstract

This study aims to examine the mental toughness, goal orientation and motivational climate levels of 887 professional footballers from TFF 1st League, TFF 2nd League and TFF 3rd League registered in Turkish Football Federation and whether these characteristics change according to age, league level and sport experience. The results showed that mental toughness scores of footballers were significantly correlated with age, league level and sport experience. Significant difference was found in goal orientation scores with age and league level, but not with sport experience. Motivational climate scores were found to vary significantly with age, league level and sport experience. In addition, it was found that task orientation had a positive effect on mental toughness, and mastery climate, one of the sub-dimensions of motivational climate, had a positive effect on mental toughness. However, performance climate was found to have a significant and negative effect on mental toughness. This study showed that the levels of mental toughness, goal orientation and motivational climate in professional football players have significant relationships with demographic factors and with each other.

Keywords

• Professional football players
• mental toughness
• task orientation
• ego orientation
• motivational climate

Profesyonel Futbolcuların Zihinsel Dayanıklılık, Hedef Yönelimi ve Motivasyonel İklim Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi

Öz

Bu araştırma, Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu'na kayıtlı TFF 1. Lig, TFF 2. Lig ve TFF 3. Lig'den 887 profesyonel futbolcunun zihinsel dayanıklılık, hedef yönelimi ve motivasyonel iklim düzeylerini ve bu özelliklerin yaş, lig düzeyi ve spor deneyimine göre değişip değişmediğini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Sonuçlar, futbolcuların zihinsel dayanıklılık puanlarının yaş, lig düzeyi ve spor deneyimi ile anlamlı bir ilişki içinde olduğunu göstermiştir. Hedef yönelimi puanlarında yaş ve lig düzeyiyle, fakat spor deneyimi ile anlamlı bir farklılık bulunmamıştır. Motivasyonel iklim puanlarının yaş, lig düzeyi ve spor deneyimine bağlı olarak anlamlı şekilde değiştiği görülmüştür. Ek olarak, görev yöneliminin zihinsel dayanıklılık üzerinde olumlu bir etkisi olduğu, motivasyonel iklim alt boyutlarından ustalık ikliminin zihinsel dayanıklılık üzerinde pozitif bir etkisi olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ancak, performans ikliminin zihinsel dayanıklılık üzerinde anlamlı ve negatif bir etkisi olduğu bulunmuştur. Bu araştırma, profesyonel futbolculardaki zihinsel dayanıklılık, hedef yönelimi ve motivasyonel iklim düzeylerinin demografik faktörlerle ve birbirleriyle önemli ilişkiler içinde olduğunu göstermiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Profesyonel futbolcular
• zihinsel dayanıklılık
• görev yönelimi
• ego yönelimi
• motivasyonel iklim

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