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The Effect of Competitive Outcome and Task-Involving, Ego-Involving, and Cooperative Structures on the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Engaged in a Co-Ordination Task: A Self-Determination Approach

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Abstract

Differing task and motivational characteristics of the competitive setting (viz., task-involving/ego-involving climates, cooperative/individual, and win/loss competitive outcome) were explored in relation to need satisfaction and subjective well-being (SWB). Participants, one-on-one or in pairs, were required to participate in a physical co-ordination task. Results revealed participants exposed to a task-involving condition and those who worked in cooperation to report higher levels of need satisfaction and SWB. Conversely, individuals exposed to ego-involving conditions and those who competed individually experienced higher levels of negative affect. Winning resulted in higher levels of need satisfaction and SWB, whereas losing led to higher levels of negative affect. Losing individually in an ego-involving condition led to the highest levels of negative affect responses and attenuated levels of reported need satisfaction and SWB. Via structural equation modeling, a model of motivational processes grounded in self-determination theory was supported in which elements of the competitive situation that facilitated need satisfaction led to increments in reported indices of SWB.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sport and Exercise Science Research Group, School for Health, University of Bath, Building 6 West, Claverton Down Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    Martyn Standage

  2. The University of Birmingham, Birmingham

    Joan L. Duda

  3. Norwegian Olympic Committee and Norwegian University of Sport Sciences, Norwegian

    Anne Marte Pensgaard

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  1. Martyn Standage
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  2. Joan L. Duda
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Standage, M., Duda, J.L. & Pensgaard, A.M. The Effect of Competitive Outcome and Task-Involving, Ego-Involving, and Cooperative Structures on the Psychological Well-Being of Individuals Engaged in a Co-Ordination Task: A Self-Determination Approach. Motiv Emot 29, 41–68 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-005-4415-z

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