Coping in Sport: a Test of Elliot’s Hierarchical Model of Approach and Avoidance Motivation

Effective coping during athletic competition has been shown to benefit performance. This study was designed to investigate the direct and indirect effects of personality and achievement motivation on athletes’ coping style. Elliot’s Hierarchical Model of Approach and Avoidance Motivation (Elliot, 1999; Elliot & Church, 1997) was used as the framework to assess participants’ (N=258) temperament and achievement goal tendencies. The Coping Function Questionnaire for Sport (Kowalski & Crocker, 2001) assessed coping style (i.e. problem, emotion, and avoidance). Results indicated a positive relationship between approach temperament and problem-focused coping as well as avoidance temperament and avoidance coping. Mediation analysis revealed a small indirect effect between approach temperament, mastery approach goals, and problemfocused coping. In addition, a small indirect effect existed between avoidance temperament, mastery avoidance goals, and avoidance coping. These findings illuminate the relationship between personality and coping, and suggest that Elliot’s hierarchical model can help predict the coping style an athlete will likely adopt during competition.