THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMPETITIVE ANXIETY, ACHIEVEMENT GOALS, AND MOTIVATIONAL CLIMATES

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of achievem ent goal orientations and perceived motivational climate to perception s of the intensity and direction of competitive state anxiety in a sam ple of university athletes representing various team sports. Although some studies have demonstrated that task orientation and mastery clima te are associated with adaptive emotional patterns and ego orientation and performance climate are linked to less adaptive emotions, others have not verified these findings. In the present study structural equa tion modeling was used to test these links. The results showed that pe rceptions of a performance climate were associated with ego orientatio n, whereas perceptions of a mastery climate were linked to task orient ation. Furthermore, no significant links were found between task orien tation and direction of competitive anxiety while it was shown that th e impact of ego orientation on the intensity and direction of cognitiv e and somatic anxiety was exerted through self-confidence. No signific ant direct links were found between motivational climates and competit ive anxiety, thus implying that motivational climates may have an indi rect impact on affective responses through the different goal orientat ions. The findings of the present study are discussed along with sugge stions for examining situational and individual difference variables t hat may explain the relationships between intensity and direction of c ompetitive anxiety and achievement goals and motivational climates.