MULTIPLE ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTATIONS AND PARTICIPATION IN YOUTH SPORT - A CULTURAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE

This study explored the cultural and developmental generalizability of relationships between achievement orientations and participation in y outh sport. Ewing's (1981) study of high school sport in the United St ates, based on Maehr and Nicholls's (1980) approach to the cross-cultu ral study of achievement motivation, was paralleled with an English sa mple (N = 830) and extended to include middle school subjects and nons chool sport. Sample-specific achievement orientations for each age gro up discriminated between competitors, dropouts and non-participants in both school and nonschool sport. Task-oriented motivation was the pri mary discriminator in the younger age group, but an ability-orientatio n also became salient in nonschool spout. Ability-oriented motivation was the major discriminator in the older sample but, in contrast with Ewing, dropouts in nonschool sport were significantly less ability-ori ented than competitors, and dropouts in school spelt were significantl y move intrinsic and task-oriented than competitors. Results are discu ssed in relation to the development of achievement motives and their i nteraction with perceived opportunities for goal attainment in differe nt environments.