Autonomy-Supportive and Controlling Environment, Motivation, and Intention to Continue Sport Participation in Adolescents: Study of Self-determination Theory

Guided by self-determination theory، this research aimed to test the linking model of perceptions of the autonomy-supportive and controlling environment، motivation، and intention to continue sport participation in adolescents. Also، the moderator role of sport’s organizational climate was examined. In this descriptive-correlation study، 288 athletes (152 martial and 136 non-martial athletes)، with age range from 15-17 years were cluster-randomly selected among Urmia adolescent athletes and were asked to completed the questionnaires. Path Analysis results showed that autonomy-support environment positively predicted autonomous motivation. In turn، autonomous motivation was positively related to intention to continue sport participation. Controlling environment was positively linked to controlled motivation. However، controlled motivation was unrelated to intention to continue sport participation. Perceptions of autonomy-support environment had a significant positive indirect effect on intention to continue sport participation. The moderator role of sport’s organizational climate was not significant in the model. Overall، these findings suggest that regardless of sport’s organizational climate، the autonomy-support environment can lead to more intention to continue sport participation in adolescents via promoting autonomous motivation.