Motivational Profile of Succesful Taekwondo Athletes

Introduction & One of the main goals of sport psychology is to identify those psychological factors that are relevant for sport performance as well as possibilities of their development. The aim of the study was to determine whether the set of specific motivational characteristics [sport orientation, sport motivation and locus of control] makes the distinction between elite or non-elite teakwando athletes. In this cross-sectional study, 70 elite taekwondo athletes (involved in Asian level or above; Mage and SD: 22.70 ± 6.35) and 70 non-elite taekwondo athletes (involved in the primary league level; Mage and SD = 20.57 ± 3.36) frome Iranian were surveyed and completed scales of sport orientation (Gill and Dieter, 1998), sport motivation (Mallet et al., 2007) and locus of control (Levenson, 1972). According to the results it can be said that elite athletes are characterized by a positive high score inachievement motivation, internal locus of control, internal and external motivation (partial eta square = 0.25). There was no significant difference in external locus of control and amotivation between groups. The results have been discussed in the context of their application in the process of talent selection and development in sport as well as the development of life skills in athletes.