Fear of failure as a multidimensional predictor of motivational quality in team sport student-athletes
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17979/sportis.2026.12.2.13164Abstract
Fear of failure is a pervasive psychological pressure in competitive sport, yet its influence on the quality of motivation among student-athletes in team sports remains insufficiently clarified. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examined whether fear of failure functions as an adaptive or maladaptive correlate of motivational regulation among university student-athletes engaged in team sports. A total of 421 student-athletes completed validated measures of fear of failure and sport motivation. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the multidimensional structure of fear of failure and the two-factor model of autonomous and controlled motivation. Bivariate and multiple regression analyses revealed that fear of failure was negatively associated with both autonomous and controlled motivation. Although the association with autonomous motivation was statistically significant, its practical effect was minimal. In contrast, fear of failure demonstrated a stronger negative relationship with controlled motivation. Socially evaluative fears, particularly concerns related to shame and interpersonal disappointment, emerged as the most influential predictors. These findings suggest that elevated fear of failure may operate as a broader motivational inhibitor rather than a pressure-driven catalyst within team sport contexts. The results underscore the importance of autonomy-supportive and psychologically safe environments in sustaining adaptive motivational regulation among student-athletes.
Keywords:
Article Details
References
Andrade, C. (2020). The Inconvenient Truth about Convenience and Purposive Samples. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 43(1), 86–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/0253717620977000
Birr, C., Hernández-Mendo, A., Monteiro, D., Regina, M., & Rosado, A. (2023). Relations between empowering and disempowering motivational climate with burnout, fear of failure and grit. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 19(3), 1164–1174. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541231191086
Caling, J. V. Y., Longakit, J. C., Jariol, K. P. Z., Lobo, J., & Rodriguez, D. R. (2025). Examining the Role of Needs Satisfaction in the Coach-Athlete Relationship and in Athletes’ Well-Being. Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research, 108, 36–45. https://doi.org/10.2478/pcssr-2025-0010
Cen, Z., Ma, J., & Li, C. (2025). Predicting Fear of Failure in University Athletes: The Roles of Mindfulness and Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction. SAGE Open, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251351799
Conroy, D. E. (2001). Progress in the development of a multidimensional measure of fear of failure: The performance failure appraisal inventory (pfai). Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 14(4), 431–452. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615800108248365
Conroy, D. E., Willow, J. P., & Metzler, J. N. (2002). Multidimensional Fear of Failure Measurement: The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14(2), 76–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200252907752
Correia, M., Rosado, A., & Serpa, S. (2016). Fear of Failure in Sport: A Portuguese Cross-cultural Adaptation. Motriz: Revista de Educação Física, 22(4), 376–382. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1980-657420160004002
Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (2001). Extrinsic Rewards and Intrinsic Motivation in Education: Reconsidered Once Again. Review of Educational Research, 71(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543071001001
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “What” and “Why” of Goal pursuits: Human Needs and the self-determination of Behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2014). Autonomy and Need Satisfaction in Close Relationships: Relationships Motivation Theory. Human Motivation and Interpersonal Relationships, 53–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8542-6_3
Duhaylungsod, C. J., Icalina, K., & Longakit, J. C. (2024). The Effects of Perceived Coach Leadership on Athlete’s Burnout: Implications for Quality of Coach-Athlete Relationship. Journal of Coaching and Sports Science, 4(1), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.58524/jcss.v4i1.405
Eliasson, I., & Johansson, A. (2020). The disengagement process among young athletes when withdrawing from sport: A new research approach. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 56(4), 537–557.
Gómez-López, M., Chicau Borrego, C., Marques da Silva, C., Granero-Gallegos, A., & González-Hernández, J. (2020). Effects of Motivational Climate on Fear of Failure and Anxiety in Teen Handball Players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(2), 592. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020592
Gómez-López, M., Courel-Ibáñez, J., & Granero-Gallegos, A. (2020). Profiles of motivation, fear of failure and anxiety in young handball players: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 16(3), 658–669. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747954120975107
Gómez-López, M., Manzano-Sánchez, D., Borrego, C. C., & González-Hernández, J. (2025). Perfectionism and fear of failure, according to sporting experience. A referee handball study. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1542416. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1542416
Gómez-López, M., Valero-Valenzuela, A., Manzano-Sánchez, D., & González-Hernández, J. (2024). Fear of failure and perception of the motivational climate under the coach pressure. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 19(3), 933–943. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541231223652
González-Hernández, J., da Silva, C. M., Monteiro, D., Alesi, M., & Gómez-López, M. (2021). Effects of Commitment on Fear of Failure and Burnout in Teen Spanish Handball Players. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 640044. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.640044
González-Hernández, J., Gómez-López, M., Manzano-Sánchez, D., & Alfonso Valero Valenzuela. (2023). Motivated and without Fear of Failure: The Strength of Basic Psychological Needs in Youth Spanish Athletes in Team Sports. Journal of Human Kinetics, 87, 235–245. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/162449
Guo, H., Zhao, W., Pan, C., Qiu, G., Xu, S., & Liu, S. (2022). Study on the Influencing Factors of Farmers’ Adoption of Conservation Tillage Technology in Black Soil Region in China: A Logistic-ISM Model Approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), 7762. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137762
Gustafsson, H., Sagar, S. S., & Stenling, A. (2016). Fear of failure, psychological stress, and burnout among adolescent athletes competing in high level sport. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 27(12), 2091–2102. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12797
Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Pieper, T. M., & Ringle, C. M. (2012). The Use of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling in Strategic Management Research: A Review of Past Practices and Recommendations for Future Applications. Long Range Planning, 45(5-6), 320–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2012.09.008
Hu, Q., Li, P., Jiang, B., & Liu, B. (2023). Impact of a controlling coaching style on athletes’ fear of failure: Chain mediating effects of basic psychological needs and sport commitment. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1106916. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1106916
Jin, H., Kim, S., Love, A., Jin, Y., & Zhao, J. (2022). Effects of leadership style on coach-athlete relationship, athletes’ motivations, and athlete satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1012953. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1012953
Jordana, A., Ramis, Y., Chamorro, J. L., Pons, J., Borrueco, M., De Brandt, K., & Torregrossa, M. (2022). Ready for Failure? Irrational Beliefs, Perfectionism and Mental Health in Male Soccer Academy Players. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 41, 454–477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-022-00491-x
Jowett, S., Adie, J. W., Bartholomew, K. J., Yang, S. X., Gustafsson, H., & Lopez-Jiménez, A. (2017). Motivational processes in the coach-athlete relationship: A multi-cultural self-determination approach. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 32, 143–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.06.004
Kang, W., & Gong, C. (2024). Exploring potential mediating mechanisms between maladaptive perfectionism and athlete burnout based on multi-theory perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1416281. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1416281
Longakit, J., Toring-Aque, L., Aque, F. J., Sayson, M., & Lobo, J. (2024). The role of coach-athlete relationship on motivation and sports engagement. Physical Education of Students, 28(5), 268–278. https://doi.org/10.15561/20755279.2024.0503
López de Subijana, C., Martin, L. J., Ramos, J., & Côté, J. (2021). How coach leadership is related to the coach-athlete relationship in elite sport. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 16(6), 1239–1246. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541211021523
Low, W. R., Freeman, P., Butt, J., Stoker, M., & Maynard, I. (2022). The role and creation of pressure in training: Perspectives of athletes and sport psychologists. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 35(4), 710–730. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2022.2061637
Manuoglu, E. (2023). The role of perceived autonomy support and fear of failure: A weekly diary study on work-related rumination. PLoS ONE, 18(10), e0291312. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291312
Melguizo-Ibáñez, E., Zurita-Ortega, F., Ubago-Jiménez, J. L., López-Gutiérrez, C. J., & González-Valero, G. (2022). An explanatory model of the relationships between sport motivation, anxiety and physical and social self-concept in educational sciences students. Current Psychology, 42, 15237–15247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02778-9
Mesquita, S., Vann, S., Dias, C., & Fonseca, A. M. (2024). Barriers to disengagement from an athletic career: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis with retired elite-level female footballers. Cuadernos de Psicología Del Deporte, 24(1), 162–180. https://doi.org/10.6018/cpd.545441
Olsson, L. F., Madigan, D. J., Hill, A. P., & Grugan, M. C. (2021). Do athlete and coach performance perfectionism predict athlete burnout? European Journal of Sport Science, 22(7), 1073–1084. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1916080
Popovych, I., Radul, I., Hoian, I., Ohnystyi, A., Doichyk, M., & Burlakova, I. (2022). Original article athletes’ resilience typology: a comparative analysis of individual and team sports. Journal of Physical Education and Sport , 22(9), 2036–2046. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2022.09260
Robazza, C., Morano, M., Bortoli, L., & Ruiz, M. C. (2023). Athletes’ basic psychological needs and emotions: the role of cognitive reappraisal. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1205102. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1205102
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic motivation, Social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation from a self-determination Theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and Future Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61(1), 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
Sánchez-Romero, E. I., Ponseti Verdaguer, F. J., Cantallops Ramón, J., & García-Mas, A. (2021). The Quantity and Quality of Anxiety Are Mediating Variables between Motivation, Burnout and Fear of Failing in Sport. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), 12343. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312343
Saraiva, M., Oliveira, S., Coimbra, M., & Ferreira, C. (2024). Understanding sport anxiety among competitive athletes: the role of shame, fear of self-compassion and self-criticism. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 23(2), 304–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197x.2024.2308861
Schüler, J., Wolff, W., & Duda, J. L. (2023). Intrinsic Motivation in the Context of Sports. In Sport and Exercise Psychology (pp. 171–192). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-03921-8_8
Shang, Y., & Yang, S.-Y. (2021). The Effect of Social Support on Athlete Burnout in Weightlifters: The Mediation Effect of Mental Toughness and Sports Motivation. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 649677. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.649677
Slemp, G. R., Field, J. G., & Cho, A. S. H. (2020). A meta-analysis of autonomous and controlled forms of teacher motivation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 121, 103459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103459
Taylor, S., Eklund, R., & Arthur, C. (2021). Fear of failure in sport, exercise, and physical activity: a scoping review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 16(1), 500–528. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984x.2021.1901299
Trotter, M. G., Coulter, T. J., Davis, P. A., Poulus, D. R., & Polman, R. (2021). Social Support, Self-Regulation, and Psychological Skill Use in E-Athletes. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 722030. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.722030
Valero-valenzuela, A., Gómez-lópez, M., González-hernández, J., & Manzano-sánchez, D. (2024). Motivational Climate, Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs and Fear of Failure in Young Athletes. Differences and Consistencies in Team Sports. Studia Psychologica, 66(3), 223–236. https://doi.org/10.31577/sp.2024.03.902
Wasserfurth, P., Palmowski, J., Hahn, A., & Krüger, K. (2020). Reasons for and Consequences of Low Energy Availability in Female and Male Athletes: Social Environment, Adaptations, and Prevention. Sports Medicine - Open, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-020-00275-6
Yang, K., Kwon, S., & Lee, D. (2025). The effects of peer-initiated motivational climate perceived by youth soccer players on fear of failure and flow state. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541251357285
Yıldırım, M., Kaynar, Ö., Chirico, F., & Magnavita, N. (2023). Resilience and Extrinsic Motivation as Mediators in the Relationship between Fear of Failure and Burnout. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(10), 5895–5895. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105895
Yukhymenko-Lescroart, M. A. (2021). The role of passion for sport in college student-athletes’ motivation and effort in academics and athletics. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 2, 100055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2021.100055
Zuckerman, S. L., Tang, A. R., Richard, K. E., Grisham, C. J., Kuhn, A. W., Bonfield, C. M., & Yengo-Kahn, A. M. (2020). The behavioral, psychological, and social impacts of team sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 49(3), 246–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2020.1850152