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A comparison of motivational orientations in professional, semi-professional and amateur soccer players
Abstract   Peer reviewed

A comparison of motivational orientations in professional, semi-professional and amateur soccer players

J Lowther, A Carlow and Geoff Lovell
Journal of Sports Sciences, Vol.22(3), pp.305-306
Annual Conference of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, 2003 (Sheffield, United Kingdom, 03-Sep-2003–07-Sep-2003)
2004
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0264041031000102088
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https://doi.org/10.1080/0264041031000102088View
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Abstract

Human Movement and Sports Science soccer players
The aim of this study was to develop the current understanding of motivational orientations (intrinsic, extrinsic and amotivation) of professional soccer players in comparison with semi-professional and amateur players. The rationale for this research question was based on the suggestion that external rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation (cf. Deci, 1975: Intrinsic Motivation. London: Plenum Press). We hypothesized that in accordance with the theory of overjustification, the professionals' pay deals would result in their motivational orientations being more extrinsically based compared with the expectation of more intrinsic orientations in amateur and semi-professional players. Fifty-three soccer players volunteered and were divided into three groups based on their standard of play: professional (from the English Nationwide First Division), semi-professional (from the Nationwide Conference leagues) and amateur (from the Redhill District League) (see Table 1). All participants completed the Sport Motivation Scale (Pelletier et al., 1995: Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 17, 35-53). The results of a 3 (group: professional, semi-professional and amateur)63 (measure: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and amotivation) factorial analysis of variance demonstrated significant group and measure effects, and a group6measure interaction (F2,50 = 12.1, P50.001; F2,50 = 176, P50.001; F4,50 = 5.86, P50.001, respectively). Table 1 displays the Sport Motivation Scale group means and standard deviations. Post-hoc Tukey tests found that the semiprofessionals had significantly higher intrinsic motivation scores than both the professionals and the amateurs, with the amateurs having the lowest intrinsic motivation scores. The extrinsic motivation scores were significantly higher for the semi-professionals than for the other two groups, with the amateurs scoring significantly higher than the professionals. The amotivation scores demonstrated no differences between groups. In terms of the differences between each group's intrinsic and extrinsic motivation scores, although all groups displayed higher intrinsic than extrinsic motivation scores, only the professionals demonstrated a significant difference. In conclusion, all three standards of play displayed predominantly intrinsic motives for playing soccer, with the semi-professionals showing the highest intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. However, and most importantly for this study, the professional soccer players displayed the highest self-determined profiles with relatively high intrinsic motivation and low extrinsic motivation. This would appear to contradict Deci's suggestion that external rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation.

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