Is the Perception of the Frequency of Use of Parental Pressure and Directive Behaviors Related to Elite Adolescent Athletes’ Burnout, Emotions, and Motivation?

ABSTRACT Parents have arguably a significant impact on athletes' experiences favoring mental health of elite adolescent athletes. However, parents can have negative effects in adopting regular pressure and directive behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between directive and pressure behaviors from mothers and fathers with athletes' burnout, positive and negative emotions, and motivation. Additionally, this study aimed to compare athletes' psychological variables exposed to higher versus lower frequencies of these parental behaviors. One hundred‐five girls and 114 boys semi and competitive elite athletes completed self‐reported questionnaires to measure mothers' and fathers' behaviors and athletes' motivation, emotions, and burnout indicators. Correlations and three separate multivariate analyses of covariance were conducted. Athletes' perceptions of parental pressure and directive behaviors were significantly (a) positively related to their anger ( r = 0.14 to 0.15), anxiety ( r = 0.14), controlled motivation ( r = 0.29 to 0.49), amotivation ( r = 0.20 to 0.44), and burnout ( r = 0.14 to 0.35) and (b) negatively related to their autonomous motivation ( r = −0.24 to −0.49). Moreover, significant differences in self‐perception were found between athletes exposed to lower versus higher frequencies of parental behaviors. Athletes who perceived a higher frequency of parental behaviors reported significantly greater level of burnout ( η 2 = 0.02 to 0.04), controlled motivation ( η 2 = 0.11), and amotivation ( η 2 = 0.07). This study highlights the inappropriateness of directive and pressure behaviors and the value of measuring the frequency of use by both parents for the athletes' mental health.