Longitudinal analysis of sport commitment types: Does injury play a role?

Windee M. Weiss

University of Northern Iowa, USA

Citation

M. Weiss, W. (2011). Longitudinal analysis of sport commitment types: Does injury play a role?. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 42(6), 565-585.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in sport commitment type over the course of one year, and to explore differences between athletes with various types of commitment on injury and rehabilitation behaviors. At Time 1, a total of 161 Division I collegiate athletes participated in this study, with 108 athletes participating at Time 2. Using cluster analyses, four profiles emerged at Time 1: attracted, entrapped, average, and low committed. At Time 2, four profiles also emerged: attracted, pseudo-entrapped, indifferent, and low committed. A total of 68% of the athletes changed types of commitment from Time 1 to Time 2. No differences emerged between the groups at Time 1 or 2 with regards to injury occurrence, however at Time 2 low committed athletes were rated the lowest in regards to rehabilitation behaviors, such as energy, effort, and persistence.

Keywords: Injury predictors, Motivation