MOTIVATION AND ELITE PERFORMANCE - AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION WITH BULGARIAN ATHLETES

The goal of the present investigation was to proceed to a multidimensi onal analysis of sport motivation in relation with elite performance a nd gender. The sample was made up of 98 Bulgarian top athletes (35 fem ales and 63 males). Participants' athletic performances in national an d international events over the last two years was documented. Partici pants also completed the Bulgarian version of the Sport Motivation Sca le (Briere, Vallerand, Blais, & Pelletier, in press; Pelletier Fortier , Vallerand Tuson, Briere, & Blais, 1995). The SMS, which is based on the tenets of Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991), ass esses: intrinsic motivation, self-determined extrinsic motivation, non -self-determined extrinsic motivation, and amotivation. Results indica ted that, in comparison with less successful athletes, title and medal holders displayed higher levels of non-self-determined extrinsic moti vation and higher levels of amotivation. With respect to gender the mo tivation of female athletes was more strongly characterized by intrins ic motivation. Results are dicussed in light of Self-Determination The ory and the cultural concert which prevailed in Bulgaria at the time o f the investigation. It is concluded that these results highlight the role of motivation in elite sport performance.