Effects of Reinforcing and Punishing Coaching Behaviour on Intrinsic Motivation among Athletes

This study aims to understand how reinforcement or punishment from coaches affects intrinsic motivation of their athletes. A mixed method was used that was sequential explanatory in nature. Seven coaches along with their seventy-five athletes were administered questionnaires and scales including semi-structured interviews for eight athletes. The quantitative data was analysed using correlation and t-tests while the qualitative data was transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic analysis. The results of the quantitative study showed that there existed a positive low significant correlation between reinforcing coaching behaviour and intrinsic motivation of athletes while there existed a negative but insignificant correlation between punishing coaching behaviour and intrinsic motivation of athletes. Perhaps the reason being, personal rationalisation given by athletes, their cultural perception of punishing and reinforcing coaching behaviour, the gender/personality/behaviour of the athlete and certain other unique situations which emerged as important factors that arose from the qualitative study analysis. An important theme that resonated among all the eight athletes was that they accepted punishing or reinforcing coaching behaviour as long as a strong rapport with the element of trust could be established between them and the coach. The implications of this study finding reveal how coaches can enhance their relationship with athletes by improving their coaching behaviours.