An Examination of the Sources of Self-Efficacy in Runners Throughout Training
A Mixed Methods Study
Keywords:
self-efficacy, distance running, mixed-methods, longitudinal studyAbstract
Studies have found a relationship between self-efficacy and overall performance in a variety of tasks, including physical activity tasks such as running (e.g., Feltz, Short, & Sullivan, 2008; LaGuardia & Labbe, 1993; Martin & Gill, 1991; Okwumabua, 1985). However, few studies have examined how the sources of self-efficacy information change over time, and to date only two such studies have explored this in endurance athletes. Therefore, this study aimed to extend Samson’s (2014) research on runner self-efficacy by examining a larger sample of runners at all levels of experience and training for various race distances. A mixed methods questionnaire variant convergent design was used (Creswell & Plano-Clark, 2018). A total of 78 runners training for races between one mile and ultramarathons completed questionnaires and open-ended responses at four different time points during training and immediately following their races. The results revealed that physiological information and enactive mastery experiences were generally the most influential sources of self-efficacy information for participants. Differences in rankings of the self-efficacy sources were found between runners of various levels of experience, but not between race distances. The findings also suggested that how the sources are weighed may change over time. Implications for runners, coaches, and sport psychology practitioners are discussed.
References
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Anstiss, P. A., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. M. (2018). The sources of self-efficacy in experienced and competitive endurance athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-17.
Astle, C., Adams, R., & Thompson, M. (2000) Self-efficacy beliefs and performance in Townsville heat after heat acclimation. Presentation at the 2000 Pre-Olympic Congress for Sports Medicine and Physical Education International Congress on Sports Medicine, Brisbane, Australia, September 7-13, 2000.
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Braun, V., Clarke, V., & Weate, P. (2016). Using thematic analysis in sport and exercise research. In B. Smith & A. C. Sparkes (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise (pp. 191-205). London: Routledge.
Callow, N., Hardy, L., & Hall, C. (2001). The effects of a motivational general-mastery imagery intervention on the sport confidence of high-level badminton players. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 72(4), 389-400.
Creswell, J. W., & Plano-Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Feltz, D. (1982). Path analysis of the causal elements in Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and an anxiety-based model of avoidance behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42(4), 764-781.
Feltz, D., & Albrecht, R. (1986). The influence of self-efficacy on the approach/avoidance of a high-avoidance motor task. In J. H. H. L. V. Velden (Ed.), Psychology and Sociology of Sport (pp. 3-25). New York: AMS Press.
Feltz, D. L., Short, S. E., & Sullivan, P. J. (2008). Self-efficacy in sport: Research and strategies for working with athletes, teams, and coaches. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Huack, L, Carpenter, M., & Frank, J. (2008). Task-specific measures of balance efficacy, anxiety, and stability and their relationship to clinical balance performance. Gait and Posture, 26, 676-682.
Hutchison, M. A., Follman, D. K., Sumpter, M., & Bodner, G. M. (2006). Factors influencing the self-efficacy beliefs of first-year engineering students. Journal of Engineering Education, 95(1), 39-47.
LaGuardia, R., & Labbe, E. E. (1993). Self-efficacy and anxiety and their relationship to training and race performance. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 77, 27-34.
Law, B., & Hall, C. (2009). Observational learning use and self-efficacy beliefs in adult sport novices. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10(2), 263-270.
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., Gover, M. R., & Nijjer, S. K. (1996). Cognitive assessment of the sources of mathematics self-efficacy: A thought-listing analysis. Journal of Career Assessment, 4(1), 33-46.
Machida, M., Ward, R. M., & Vealey, R. S. (2012). Predictors of sources of self-confidence in collegiate athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 10(3), 172-185.
Martin, J. J., & Gill, D. L. (1991). The relationships among competitive orientation, sport-confidence, self-efficacy, anxiety, and performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13(2), 149-159.
Martin, J., & Gill, D. (1995). The relationship of competitive orientations and self-efficacy to goal importance, thoughts, and performance in high school distance runners. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 7, 50-62.
McAuley, E. (1985). Modeling and self-efficacy: A test of Bandura’s model. Journal of Sport Psychology, 7, 283-295.
McCullagh, P., & Weiss, M. R. (2001). Modeling: Considerations for motor skill performance and psychological responses. In R. N. Singer, H. A. Hausenblas, & C. M. Janelle (Eds.) Handbook of sport psychology (pp. 205-238). New York: Wiley.
Moritz, S. E., Feltz, D. L., Fahrbach, K. R., & Mack, D. E. (2000). The relation of self-efficacy measure to sport performance: A meta-analytic review. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 71, 280-294.
O, J., Munroe-Chandler, K. J., Hall, C. R., & Hall, N. D. (2014). Using motivational general-mastery imagery to improve the self-efficacy of youth squash players. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 26(1), 66-81.
Okwumabua, T. M. (1985). Psychological and physical contributions to marathon performance: An exploratory investigation. Journal of Sport Behavior, 8(3), 163-171.
Rudolph, D. L., & Butki, B. D. (1998). Self-efficacy and affective responses to short bouts of exercise. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 10(2), 268-280.
Samson, A. (2011). Sources of self-efficacy in distance runners. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.
Samson, A. (2014). Sources of self-efficacy during marathon training: A qualitative, longitudinal investigation. The Sport Psychologist, 28, 164-175.
Samson, A., & Solmon, M. A. (2011). Examining the sources of self-efficacy for physical activity within the sport and exercise domains. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 4(1), 70-89. doi: 10.1080/1750984X.2011.564643
Samson, A., Solmon, M. A., & Stewart, L. (2013). Changes in self-efficacy and affect during a 15-week marathon training program. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 44(1), 55-68.
Scholz, U., Nagy, G., Schuz, B., & Ziegelmann, J. (2008). The role of motivational and volitional factors for self-regulated running training: Associations and the between- and within- person level. British Journal of Social Psychology, 47, 421-439.
Valiante, G., & Morris, D. B. (2013). The sources and maintenance of professional golfers' self-efficacy beliefs. The Sport Psychologist, 27(2), 130-142.
Vealey, R. S., Hayashi, S. W., Garner-Holman, M., & Giacobbi, P. (1998). Sources of sport-confidence: Conceptualization and instrument development. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 20, 54-80.
Anstiss, P. A., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. M. (2018). The sources of self-efficacy in experienced and competitive endurance athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-17.
Astle, C., Adams, R., & Thompson, M. (2000) Self-efficacy beliefs and performance in Townsville heat after heat acclimation. Presentation at the 2000 Pre-Olympic Congress for Sports Medicine and Physical Education International Congress on Sports Medicine, Brisbane, Australia, September 7-13, 2000.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W. H. Freeman & Company.
Braun, V., Clarke, V., & Weate, P. (2016). Using thematic analysis in sport and exercise research. In B. Smith & A. C. Sparkes (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise (pp. 191-205). London: Routledge.
Callow, N., Hardy, L., & Hall, C. (2001). The effects of a motivational general-mastery imagery intervention on the sport confidence of high-level badminton players. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 72(4), 389-400.
Creswell, J. W., & Plano-Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Feltz, D. (1982). Path analysis of the causal elements in Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and an anxiety-based model of avoidance behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42(4), 764-781.
Feltz, D., & Albrecht, R. (1986). The influence of self-efficacy on the approach/avoidance of a high-avoidance motor task. In J. H. H. L. V. Velden (Ed.), Psychology and Sociology of Sport (pp. 3-25). New York: AMS Press.
Feltz, D. L., Short, S. E., & Sullivan, P. J. (2008). Self-efficacy in sport: Research and strategies for working with athletes, teams, and coaches. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Huack, L, Carpenter, M., & Frank, J. (2008). Task-specific measures of balance efficacy, anxiety, and stability and their relationship to clinical balance performance. Gait and Posture, 26, 676-682.
Hutchison, M. A., Follman, D. K., Sumpter, M., & Bodner, G. M. (2006). Factors influencing the self-efficacy beliefs of first-year engineering students. Journal of Engineering Education, 95(1), 39-47.
LaGuardia, R., & Labbe, E. E. (1993). Self-efficacy and anxiety and their relationship to training and race performance. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 77, 27-34.
Law, B., & Hall, C. (2009). Observational learning use and self-efficacy beliefs in adult sport novices. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10(2), 263-270.
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., Gover, M. R., & Nijjer, S. K. (1996). Cognitive assessment of the sources of mathematics self-efficacy: A thought-listing analysis. Journal of Career Assessment, 4(1), 33-46.
Machida, M., Ward, R. M., & Vealey, R. S. (2012). Predictors of sources of self-confidence in collegiate athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 10(3), 172-185.
Martin, J. J., & Gill, D. L. (1991). The relationships among competitive orientation, sport-confidence, self-efficacy, anxiety, and performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13(2), 149-159.
Martin, J., & Gill, D. (1995). The relationship of competitive orientations and self-efficacy to goal importance, thoughts, and performance in high school distance runners. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 7, 50-62.
McAuley, E. (1985). Modeling and self-efficacy: A test of Bandura’s model. Journal of Sport Psychology, 7, 283-295.
McCullagh, P., & Weiss, M. R. (2001). Modeling: Considerations for motor skill performance and psychological responses. In R. N. Singer, H. A. Hausenblas, & C. M. Janelle (Eds.) Handbook of sport psychology (pp. 205-238). New York: Wiley.
Moritz, S. E., Feltz, D. L., Fahrbach, K. R., & Mack, D. E. (2000). The relation of self-efficacy measure to sport performance: A meta-analytic review. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 71, 280-294.
O, J., Munroe-Chandler, K. J., Hall, C. R., & Hall, N. D. (2014). Using motivational general-mastery imagery to improve the self-efficacy of youth squash players. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 26(1), 66-81.
Okwumabua, T. M. (1985). Psychological and physical contributions to marathon performance: An exploratory investigation. Journal of Sport Behavior, 8(3), 163-171.
Rudolph, D. L., & Butki, B. D. (1998). Self-efficacy and affective responses to short bouts of exercise. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 10(2), 268-280.
Samson, A. (2011). Sources of self-efficacy in distance runners. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.
Samson, A. (2014). Sources of self-efficacy during marathon training: A qualitative, longitudinal investigation. The Sport Psychologist, 28, 164-175.
Samson, A., & Solmon, M. A. (2011). Examining the sources of self-efficacy for physical activity within the sport and exercise domains. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 4(1), 70-89. doi: 10.1080/1750984X.2011.564643
Samson, A., Solmon, M. A., & Stewart, L. (2013). Changes in self-efficacy and affect during a 15-week marathon training program. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 44(1), 55-68.
Scholz, U., Nagy, G., Schuz, B., & Ziegelmann, J. (2008). The role of motivational and volitional factors for self-regulated running training: Associations and the between- and within- person level. British Journal of Social Psychology, 47, 421-439.
Valiante, G., & Morris, D. B. (2013). The sources and maintenance of professional golfers' self-efficacy beliefs. The Sport Psychologist, 27(2), 130-142.
Vealey, R. S., Hayashi, S. W., Garner-Holman, M., & Giacobbi, P. (1998). Sources of sport-confidence: Conceptualization and instrument development. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 20, 54-80.
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2022-02-13
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