Adolescent Athletes’ Perceptions of the Peer-Motivational Climate in Sport: Do They Matter for Empathic Concern?

Abstract

Sports may be contexts supporting character virtues development, including empathic concern. However, the competitiveness of sport may also hinder adolescents’ ability for empathic concern. This study investigated how perceptions of the peer motivational climate were associated with athletes’ empathic concern. Data were drawn from a larger study of high school adolescents’ character development through sport (N = 665; 49.1% female). Task-oriented (i.e., skill-focused), but not ego-oriented (i.e., competition-focused), aspects of the peer motivational climate were associated with empathic concern. Task-oriented environments may afford youth opportunities to demonstrate empathic concern as features of task orientation include supporting and caring for teammates.

Additional information

Funding

The preparation of this article was supported in part by grants from the John Templeton Foundation.