Study on Relationship between Self- Determined Motivation Level and Athletics Performance of Sri Lankan South Asian Games Squad

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to identify the relationship between self-determined motivation (SDM) towards the sports in relation with performance. The minor objectives were to find the relationship between SDM and variables of different performance levels, event categories and gender. Hundred (n=100) Sri Lankan national athletes (males n = 70 and females n = 30) who were competed in the South Asian Games’ national trial 2015 was taken as the sample. Athletes’ SDM was measured by using Sport Motivation Scale (SMS; Pelletier et al., 1995). Performance was collected by competition results sheets and each performance assign respective points on the International Association of Athletic Federation point table. Spearman’s Rank Correlation was used to examine the relationship between variables and all the differences were considered significant in 95% confidence interval. Findings indicated SDM and performance were positively associated but relationship is not significant (r = 0.156, p = 0.122). Results in different event categories shown that SDM produced a significant negative correlation with low level (r = -0.500, p = 0.667) and middle level performance (r = -0.012, p = 0.921). The correlation between best performance level and SDM produced a positive (r = 0.288, p = 0.218) and non-significant. In Sprints, Hurdles and Relays (r = 0.246, p = 0.092) and Long distances categories (r = 0.224, p = 0.533) results indicated a positive correlation and non- significant relationship. In middle distances (r = -0.064, p = 0.853) and jumping and throwing (r = -0.091, p = 0.628) events categories’ SDI made negative and non-significant correlation in relation with performance. Results indicated that SDM produced a positive and moderate significant correlation with performance in females (r = 0.529, p = 0.003). Females’ SDI has produced a significant relationship with their performance. In males’ SDI made positive and non-significant correlation in relation with their performance (r = 0.021, p = 0.861). In conclusion, self-determined motivation was produced a positive relationship with performance, beside with respect to gender, there was a strong difference relationship between SDI and performance of male and female.