The Effect of Parental Autonomy Support on Grit: The Mediating Role of Basic Psychological Needs and the Moderating Role of Achievement Motivation

Academic motivation in adolescents: the role of parental autonomy support, psychological needs satisfaction and self-control

Background

Various perspectives on the existence and degree of motivation, which is a crucial factor influencing human behavior, have been studied for many years. Especially in adolescence, a phase marked by rapid change, motivation plays a crucial role in supporting young people to achieve their goals, fulfill their responsibilities, and experience healthy development.

Aims

The present study aims to investigate the structural relationships among perceived parental autonomy support, satisfaction of psychological needs, self-control, and academic motivation.

Sample

The study was conducted with a total of 427 high school students, including 230 females and 197 males, aged between 14 and 19 (M = 15.82; SD = 1.02).

Method

Participants completed self-report measures of academic motivation, parental autonomy support, psychological needs satisfaction, and self-control. Structural equation modeling was performed to explore complex relationships between variables of interest.

Results

The study revealed that psychological needs satisfaction increased as parental autonomy support increased, and self-control also increased with the satisfaction of psychological needs. It was also found that satisfaction of psychological needs was positively related to both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Additionally, self-control was associated with increased intrinsic motivation and decreased amotivation. In addition, it was found that parental autonomy support has an indirect relationship with academic motivation through the satisfaction of psychological needs and self-control.

Conclusion

It is believed that these connections will lead to a deeper understanding of the significant processes in adolescence and serve as a foundation for developing and implementing psycho-educational interventions related to these variables.

The role of parents in the motivation of young athletes: a systematic review

Objectives

Parents are one of the main social agents that shape young athletes' experiences and participation in sports, but they are also the least explored group in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of research on the role of parents in the motivation of young athletes.

Method

The systematic literature review consisted of four electronic databases from which 29 articles published in English and in full-text form in peer-reviewed journals between 1999 and 2023 were retrieved.

Results

A total of 29 studies met the eligibility criteria. These studies collectively surveyed 9,185 young athlete participants and 2,191 parent participants. The sample comprised 26 quantitative studies and 3 qualitative studies. The findings underscore that parents play both unique and synergistic multidimensional roles in motivating young athletes. Parents' positive goals and values, autonomy-supportive parenting styles, moderate parental involvement, positive parent-child relationships, and a parent-initiated task climate are identified as optimal parenting strategies.

Conclusion

While parents undeniably play a crucial role in motivating young athletes, the manner and extent of their involvement are key.