AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOURCES OF CONFIDENCE AND RETURN TO SPORT FROM INJURY

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between sources of confidence and return to sport from injury. Injured athletes (N=61) with either a successful (N=31) or unsuccessful perception of their return to sport (N=30) completed the Modified Sources of Sport-Confidence Questionnaire (M-SSCQ; Magyar & Duda, 2000) and perception of success measure. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine differences in the sources of sport-confidence between the two groups. The results of the ANOVA indicated that athletes with successful perceptions of their return placed significantly more importance upon demonstration of ability (p<.001) and social support (p<.001) sources of confidence than athletes who perceived an unsuccessful return to sport. In contrast, athletes who perceived an unsuccessful return to sport placed significantly more importance on mental/physical preparation (p<.05) than athletes who perceived a successful return. These findings suggest that specific sources of confidence may be more beneficial than others in facilitating a successful return to sport. Further research of a qualitative nature could help to explain these differences in sources of confidence.