The role of approach‐avoidance versus task and ego goals in enjoyment and cognitive anxiety in youth sport

Abstract

This study investigated whether approach‐avoidance goals predicted enjoyment, concentration disruption, and worry, and compared approach‐avoidance versus task/ego goals in predicting these variables. British youth athletes (139 males, 110 females, 5 did not report gender), with a mean age of 13.57 (SD = 1.69) years and a mean sport experience of 4.81 (SD = 2.80) years, completed questionnaires measuring approach‐avoidance and task/ego goals, enjoyment, concentration disruption, worry, and perceived competence. Mastery‐approach goals positively predicted enjoyment, and negatively predicted concentration disruption and worry. The two avoidance goals positively predicted concentration disruption and worry, while performance‐approach goals did not predict any outcome variable. In hierarchical regression analyses, task/ego goals were the most important predictors of enjoyment, whereas approach‐avoidance goals were the most important predictors of concentration disruption and worry. Both sets of goals accounted for unique variance in the variables examined, suggesting the approach‐avoidance distinction is a valuable addition to achievement goal theory

Keywords:

• achievement
• worry
• 2 × 2 framework