Passion and burnout in elite junior soccer players: The mediating role of self-determined motivation

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between forms of passion (harmonious and obsessive; Vallerand et al., 2003) and athlete burnout, and whether these relationships are mediated by self-determined motivation. The proposed model posited that because harmonious passion originates from an authentic self, it will be positively associated with self-determined regulation. Conversely, because obsessive passion originates from ego-invested structures within the self, it will be negatively associated with self-determined regulation. In turn, consistent with research examining the relationship between motivation regulation and athlete burnout, self-determined regulation was expected to be negatively associated with athlete burnout. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Method: This model was tested in 149 (M age1⁄4 16.2, s1⁄4 2.0, range1⁄4 12e21) male junior athletes who attended soccer academies in the UK. Participants completed the Passion Scale (Vallerand et al., 2003), the Sport Motivation Scale (Pelletier et al., 1995), and the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (Raedeke & Smith, 2001). Results: Harmonious passion was negatively related to a latent athlete burnout factor, whereas obsessive passion was unrelated to a latent athlete burnout factor. The relationship between harmonious passion and burnout was fully mediated by self-determined regulation. Conclusions: The results suggest that harmonious passion may offer some protection from burnout for athletes due to higher levels of self-determined motivation. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Burnout is a colloquial term that is frequently used in sport and by representatives of the media in their reporting (e.g. Dall, 2009). Burnout is typically understood as the result of physical overexertion and fatigue (see Brenner, 2007). However, contemporary perspectives within the scientific community suggest the antecedents of athlete burnout may be predominantly psychological (Gould, Udry, Tuffey, & Loehr, 1996; Raedeke & Smith, 2001). Owing to the intense psychological demands placed upon developing athletes, a number of researchers have proposed that elite junior athletes may be especially susceptible to the development of burnout (e.g., Appleton, Hall, & Hill, 2009; Gustafsson, Kentta, Hassmen, & Johansson, 2008; Hill, Hall, Appleton, & Kozub, 2008). In spite of this, relatively little is known about the development of the syndrome in this group. This is because empirical research has only recently begun to examine the psychological mechanisms associated with athlete burnout. Consequently, research is required that examines the processes associated with burnout in elite junior athletes. One of the reasons why athlete burnout has received little systematic attention is that early research lacked a precise definition of the syndrome (e.g. Gould et al., 1996; Harlick & Mckenzie, 2000). Raedeke and Smith (2001, 2004) addressed this ambiguity by providing a definition and measure based on Maslach and Jackson’s (1986) research in an occupational context. Raedeke and Smith (2001) consider athlete burnout to be an experiential syndrome consisting of three central symptoms; perceived physical and emotional exhaustion, a reduced sense of athletic accomplishment and sport devaluation. One important characteristic of these symptoms is a lack of motivational quantity and quality (see Eklund & Cresswell, 2007). In line with the predictions of selfdetermination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), athlete burnout has been suggested to develop when motivation becomes increasingly non-self-determined (lack of motivational quality) and amotivated * Corresponding author. De Grey 110, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, York St John University, Lord Mayors Walk, York YO31 7EX, UK. Tel.: þ44 1904876239. E-mail address: [email protected] (T. Curran).