Sportsmanship in handball: an analysis based on the self-determination theory

Abstract

This study analyses a model proposed to explain players’ perception of sportsmanlike behaviours using a causal sequence proposed by the self-determination theory (Vallerand, 1997, 2001). The participants were 302 handball players of both genders, with a mean age of 15.6 years old (SD = 1.35). The variables considered were: perceived motivational climate, perceived satisfaction of psychological needs in sport, the self-determination index, perceived sportsmanlike behaviours. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) provided support for the predicted model: the perceived mastery climate positively predicted perceived satisfaction of psychological needs in sport. Moreover, satisfaction of psychological needs predicted the self-determination index, which in turn was positively related to the two dimensions of sportsmanship: “social conventions” and “respect for rules, judges and referees”. The results suggest that the self-determination theory may help to understand the process of acquiring sportsmanlike behaviour.