The relationships of competitive orientations and self-efficacy to goal importance, thoughts, and performance in high school distance runners

Abstract

The current study examined 2 expectancy-value models of athletic performance suggested by research (Martin & Gill, 1991; Martin & Gill, in press; Vealey, 1986). Both models hypothesized that competitive orientations, goal importance, self-efficacy, and goal thoughts would predict performance. Path analyses of data from 86 high school runners indicated a model examining win orientation and normative based cognitions explained 29% of the variance in race place whereas a model examining goal orientation and self-referenced based cognitions explained only 3% of the variance in race time. Specific path coefficients supported hypothesized relationships among win and goal orientations and goal importance and between self-efficacy and performance. For example, runners with a strong win orientation chose important place goals and had strong place self-efficacy. Furthermore, runners with strong place self-efficacy thought about their place goals during races and placed high relative to runners with lower place self-efficacy. Strategies and implications for goal setting programs are suggested.