Motivation Mediating the Relationship Between Needs and Performance in Professional Esports Athletes: A Brief Report

Abstract

Background: Esports is a growing industry, and understanding the underlying professional esports athletes’ experiences can have an impact on their performance and coaching approaches. The present study investigated the mediating role of types of motivations in the relationship between psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) and performance (shooting accuracy and time trial). Method: A total of 113 esports athletes (13 females and 100 males) with an average age of 21.42 (SD = 2.893) participated in the study. The participants first answered a questionnaire to measure their needs and motivations and then completed an esports task in Counter-Strike. The collected data were analyzed using a causal-step method for mediation analysis. Results: The study found that competence needs significantly correlated with performance measures. Intrinsic and introjected motivations significantly mediated the relationship between competence and performance outcomes. Conclusion: The present study suggests that satisfying the need for mastery has a direct impact on esports athletes’ motivation, which in turn affects their performance positively due to their passion and perceived self-esteem. When interpreting the results, it is important to consider the study’s limitations, which are further discussed in the discussion section.