Motivational climate and intrinsic motivation of young basketball players

The present study examined the relationship between motivational climate with intrinsic motivation for athletes with high and low perceived competence. It was predicted that for highly competent athletes a motivational climate of high mastery and high performance would be associated with enhanced intrinsic motivation whereas for athletes of low competence perceptions of a motivational climate of high mastery would be associated with higher intrinsic motivation. Analysis for 130 male basketball players showed that there was no significant interaction between perceived competence and perceptions of motivational climate. Scores for perceptions of a risk-involving climate were significantly correlated with intrinsic motivation.