Robazza Claudio, Vitali Francesca, Bortoli Laura, Ruiz Montse C
Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, BIND-Behavioral Imaging and Neural Dynamics Center, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 31, 66100, Chieti, Italy.
Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 13;15(1):1854. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-86072-1.
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction, coping functions, cognitive appraisals, emotions, and psychobiosocial experiences in competitive athletes. Multi-states (MuSt) theory was used as the theoretical framework. The study involved a convenience sample of 183 Italian athletes (102 men), aged 16 to 48 years (M = 24.86, SD = 7.42), who were engaged in individual or team sports. The results showed that basic psychological needs satisfaction was positively related to problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, challenge appraisal, pleasant emotions, and functional psychobiosocial experiences, while negatively linked to threat appraisal and unpleasant emotions. Furthermore, problem-focused and emotion-focused coping were positively related to challenge appraisal, pleasant emotions, and functional psychobiosocial experiences, while negatively related to threat appraisal and unpleasant emotions. Path analysis findings showed positive indirect effects via problem-focused coping and challenge appraisal from both competence and relatedness to excitement, happiness, and functional psychobiosocial experiences. The results highlight the impact of basic psychological needs satisfaction, coping functions, and cognitive appraisals on athletes' emotional experiences. Overall findings support MuSt theoretical underpinnings and suggest that athletes who experience competence, autonomy, and relatedness are likely to adopt adaptive coping, view challenges as growth opportunities, experience pleasant emotions, and undergo functional psychobiosocial experiences. From an applied perspective, practitioners should prioritize basic psychological needs satisfaction in athlete development programs to foster functional coping, challenge appraisal, optimal emotional experiences, and performance.
本研究的目的是调查竞技运动员基本心理需求满足、应对功能、认知评价、情绪和心理社会经历之间的关系。多状态（MuSt）理论被用作理论框架。该研究涉及183名意大利运动员（102名男性）的便利样本，年龄在16至48岁之间（M = 24.86，标准差 = 7.42），他们从事个人或团体运动。结果表明，基本心理需求满足与以问题为中心和以情绪为中心的应对、挑战性评价、愉快情绪以及功能性心理社会经历呈正相关，而与威胁性评价和不愉快情绪呈负相关。此外，以问题为中心和以情绪为中心的应对与挑战性评价、愉快情绪以及功能性心理社会经历呈正相关，而与威胁性评价和不愉快情绪呈负相关。路径分析结果显示，通过以问题为中心的应对和挑战性评价，能力和相关性对兴奋、幸福和功能性心理社会经历产生积极的间接影响。结果突出了基本心理需求满足、应对功能和认知评价对运动员情绪体验的影响。总体研究结果支持MuSt的理论基础，并表明体验到能力、自主性和相关性的运动员可能会采用适应性应对方式，将挑战视为成长机会，体验愉快情绪，并经历功能性心理社会经历。从应用角度来看，从业者应在运动员发展计划中优先考虑基本心理需求的满足，以促进功能性应对、挑战性评价、最佳情绪体验和表现。
