Adolescent goal orientations and the perception of criteria of success used by significant others

This study examined the relationship of goal orientations to adolescent ath letes' perceptions of the criteria used by significant others to assess the ir spout success. 90 boys and 44 girls involved in track and field and tenn is completed the Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ) to measure goal orientation, and the Perception of Significant Others' Sport Success Crite ria Questionnaire (PSOSSCQ) to measure the perception of significant others ' criteria of achieving spout success. We found that athletes had two goal oriented profiles, one that was high in both task and ego orientation, and one that was task oriented. The athletes who were high in both task and ego perceived that both peers and adults had criteria of success that were hig h in both task and ego involving criteria. For the task oriented athletes, adults, but not peers, were negatively related to ego involving criteria of success, and peers, but not adults, were positively related to task involv ing criteria of success. The implications of these findings for the sociali zation of the athlete to achievement goals due discussed.