This study investigated the relationships among athletes' growth mindset, grit, deliberate practice, and perceived performance, drawing on implicit theory and the social-cognitive achievement motivation model. Specifically, we examined the multiple mediating roles of grit and deliberate practice in the relationship between growth mindset and perceived performance outcomes. A total of 297 responses were collected from elite athletes affiliated with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. Results revealed that growth mindset was positively associated with grit and deliberate practice, which were in turn, associated with athletes' performance. These findings offer valuable insights into the psychological mechanisms associated with athletic success, suggesting that growth mindset, grit, and deliberate practice may collectively represent relevant components of optimal competitive functioning. By highlighting the importance of these factors, this study may provide a theoretical and practical foundation for future research and the development of evidence-informed approaches to supporting long-term athletic excellence.
Rising rates of social anxiety (SA) and body esteem (BE) concerns among university students highlight the need for innovative interventions that resonate with their lived experiences. This qualitative study addresses this gap by exploring how dance (a creative and embodied practice) can offer meaningful support in navigating these psychological challenges. Twenty students, representing a range of SA and BE levels and varying prior dance experience, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis and interpreted through Self-Determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory. Three themes were developed: (1) cultivating a supportive, inclusive, and psychologically safe dance community, (2) perceived emotional and bodily empowerment through dance, and (3) barriers and facilitators to engagement in dance-based interventions. Findings highlight the importance of skilled facilitators in creating empowering environments that satisfy students' basic psychological needs and promote mental well-being. In such contexts, dance participation may reduce social anxiety and improve body esteem; conversely, disempowering environments may frustrate psychological needs and exacerbate these concerns. Participants without prior dance experience reported unique barriers to engagement, suggesting the need for tailored strategies to support participation and maximise the benefits of dance-based interventions. Overall, this study advances understanding of the psychological mechanisms through which dance participation may influence SA and BE and offers practical guidance for designing student-centred, psychologically informed dance interventions in higher education - where the need for innovative mental health support is more pressing than ever.
Although the role of achievement goals in doping in sport has been widely studied, the influence of athlete burnout and its interaction with achievement goals remains unexplored. This study examined the interaction between doping attitudes, achievement goals and burnout on doping intention in a sample of 71 competitive cyclists. Doping attitudes were assessed at baseline. Doping intention was measured across eight scenarios manipulating achievement goals and burnout conditions. Repeated Measures analyses revealed that doping attitudes were strongly associated with doping intention and conditioned the combined effects of achievement goals and burnout on doping intention. Post hoc analyses indicated that doping intention was significantly higher in scenarios combining: (a) performance-approach with burnout compared to both performance-approach without burnout and mastery-approach with burnout, and (b) mastery-avoidance goals with burnout, compared with mastery-avoidance without burnout. These findings suggest that burnout may exacerbate the association between certain achievement goals and doping intention, particularly at higher levels of favourable doping attitudes. This study highlights the importance of fostering environments that support adaptive achievement goals and promote athletes' mental well-being.
Background High parental expectations for physical fitness in youth sport may function as social-evaluative stressors. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study examined how such expectations were associated with pre-competitive cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and lack of self-confidence through basic psychological need satisfaction.Methods: Participants were 512 adolescent tennis players (Mage = 13.53, SD = 2.01; 47.7% male). They completed validated measures of parental physical fitness expectations, competence, autonomy, relatedness, and pre-competitive psychological states. Structural equation modelling and bias-corrected bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples tested parallel mediation models.Results: Higher parental expectations were associated with lower competence, autonomy, and relatedness satisfaction. For cognitive anxiety, the direct effect was nonsignificant, but the total indirect effect was significant (B = 0.024, 95% BC CI [0.008, 0.049]), primarily through competence. For somatic anxiety, both the direct effect (B = 0.077, beta = 0.103) and total indirect effect (B = 0.021, 95% BC CI [0.005, 0.046]) were significant, again primarily through competence. For lack of self-confidence, both the direct effect (B = 0.100, beta = 0.129) and total indirect effect (B = 0.025, 95% BC CI [0.008, 0.054]) were significant, with indirect effects through competence and autonomy. Relatedness was not a significant mediator.Conclusion: Competence was the most consistent pathway linking parental physical fitness expectations to all three pre-competitive states, while autonomy additionally contributed to lack of self-confidence. Competence-affirming and autonomy-supportive parental involvement may therefore support adolescent athletes' psychological well-being and competitive resilience.
