CHILDRENS TASK AND EGO GOAL PROFILES IN SPORT

The purpose of this study was to examine the combined effects of task and ego goal orientations on children's sport motivation. Participants were 115 boys and 116 girls (mean age = 11.12 yrs). Unlike previous r esearch, where the correlates of the two orientations have been examin ed separately, this study examined the motivational consequences of di fferent task and ego combinations. Four groups were created based on m ean splits on the task and ego scales of the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire. These were low task/low ego, low task/high ego , high task/low ego, and high task/high ego. The hi/hi group emerged a s the most motivated and the lo/lo group least motivated in measures o f sport enjoyment and perceived sport competence. The lo/lo group, mad e up primarily of girls, appear to be at high risk for non-participati on in sport. Children dominated by a task orientation were more motiva ted than those dominated by an ego orientation. A similar pattern emer ged whether children were in the lower or upper third of the perceived sport competence distribution. A high task orientation appears to pro vide the vital element for sport motivation. The addition of ego invol vement to task involvement may enhance sport enjoyment and does not ap pear to be motivationally detrimental. Task and ego profile analysis s eems to offer important insight into the achievement motivation of chi ldren of this age.