Empirical analysis reveals coaches' feedback boosts sports engagement, implying emotional intelligence and identity perception are key factors.
Abstract Coaches' developmental feedback serves as a critical catalyst for enhancing athletes' sports engagement, optimizing training efficacy, and sustaining team development dynamics. Transitioning athletes from passive compliance to proactive participation—thereby cultivating voluntary commitment to the training and competitive environments—has emerged as a strategic priority for sports practitioners. Drawing on Social Identity Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, this study investigates the mechanism and boundary conditions through which coaches' developmental feedback influences athletes' sports engagement. Empirical analysis of 412 matched coach-athlete dyads from four major southwestern Chinese cities (Chengdu, Guiyang, Kunming, Chongqing) yielded three key findings: (1) coaches' developmental feedback exhibits a significant positive effect on athletes' sports engagement; (2) athletes' insider identity perception partially mediates this relationship; (3) athletes' emotional intelligence moderates the identified mediation pathway. These results advance theoretical understanding of engagement mechanisms in sports psychology while providing actionable strategies for designing evidence-based coaching interventions.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Zeng et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: