Modeling the Effect of Athletic Identity on Sport Orientation in Athletes Participating in 11th Sport Olympiad of Male Students in Iran

The aim of this study was to model the effect of athletic identity on sport orientation in athletes participating in 11th sport Olympiad of male students in Iran. 400 students were selected as the sample of this study from 2130 students of population. Sport Orientation Questionnaire (SOQ, Gill et al., 1988, α=0.87) and the Athletic Identity Questionnaire (Cieslak, 2004, α=0.82) were used. The SOQ with 25 items measured three dimensions of sport orientation, and the Athletic Identity Questionnaire with 22 items assessed five dimensions of athletic identity. The data were analyzed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, multiple regression test, and Structural Equation Modeling at significance level of P≤0.05. The results showed that all dimensions of athletic identity (excluding negative affectivity) had a direct and significant relationship with sport orientation. Also, 0.41 of variance of orientation was predicted or explained by independent variables (self-identity, social identity, exclusivity, positive affectivity, negative affectivity) (R2 = 0.41).