Motivational profile and emotional intensity in school basketball: predictor variables

Abstract

This research investigated the capacity that game characteristics and protagonists have to predict emotional intensity, as well as motivational orientation (towards performance or outcome). A total of 183 elementary and high school students from four Spanish regions joined the study (boys = 43.7% and girls = 56.2%), aged 12 to 17 years old. Two 60-minute intervention sessions were carried out (15-20’ per game); emotional intensity was assessed at the end of the session using the GES, whereas motivational profiles were assessed through the BREQ3. For data analysis, the decision tree technique known as CHAID was employed. The findings allow highlighting that: a) competition result and game type can predict the participants' emotional intensity; b) result during the match, along with gender, can predict performance-oriented motivational profiles; and c) gender and result, in addition to sports background, help predict motivational profiles not oriented to performance.