So you are having a bad day: gender, goal orientation and in-competition attrition rate in competitive cyclists

摘要

Cycling is an endurance sport defined by races that require long intensive efforts. In this atmosphere, athletes who experience a self-proclaimed “bad day” may be inclined to drop out of a competition instead of complete it. Previous research has shown that male athletes demonstrated higher levels of ego orientation and extrinsic motivation while female athletes demonstrated higher levels of goal orientation and intrinsic motivation (White u26 Duda, 1994). The current study examines the relationship of gender, goal orientation and participation motivation to in-competition drop-out rates among competitive cyclists. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the decision to prematurely drop out of a race is influenced by an athlete’s goal orientation (ego or task) and their intrinsic and/or extrinsic motivations for participating. Results demonstrated higher in-competition drop-out rates among male cyclists than that of female cyclists. Completion rates were also assessed in relation to goal orientation and participation motivation and demonstrated lower levels of ego orientation, higher levels of task orientation, and higher levels of intrinsic motivation among female cyclists in comparison to male cyclists.