Psychological Self-Regulation and Its Importance for the Intrinsic Motivation, Psychological Well-Being and Performance in Sport

Abstract

Self-regulation is one of the main resources contributing to the productive realization of activity and getting satisfaction from life. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of different aspects of self-regulation in the development of intrinsic motivation to practice sports and the level of life satisfaction in athletes. To study different aspects of self-regulation, the «Self-Government Test» of J. Kuhl and A. Fuhrman was used. To study the level of intrinsic motivation «The Sport Motivation Scale» was used. The «Life Satisfaction Scale» and «The Negative and Positive Emotion Scale» by E. Diener were used to test the degree of life satisfaction. The research involved 178 athletes aged from 17 to 33 years (M = 19,38; SD = 1,88), having titles from junior to Master of Sports International Class. Regression analysis showed that aspects of self-regulation such as planning, sensitivity to own values and emotional regulation in athletes contribute to a higher level of life satisfaction. A comparison of groups with different levels of self-regulation showed that athletes with higher levels of self-regulation skill are characterized by a more stable internal motivation to do sports and less expression of negative experiences; they experience positive emotions more often. In addition, it has been demonstrated that the most developed indicators of volitional regulation are characteristic of athletes at the initial and professional level of skill, as compared to those who are at the intermediate stage. Thus, self-regulation is one of the most important resources of athletes, important not only for their professional performance, but for a sense of well-being and life satisfaction.