General self-esteem and locus of control of young sportsmen

Abstract

This paper deals with the relationship between some elements of self-concept (general self-esteem and locus of control) and going in for sport in adolescence. The relationship between going in for sport and variables of self-concept (general self-esteem and external locus of control) was investigated in a sample of 300 adolescent boys and girls (150 sportsmen and 150 non-sportsmen). Modification of the Rosenberg’s General self-esteem scale and Bezinović-Savčić’s Scale of externality were used to measure variables of self-concept. The significant positive correlation between variables of going in for sport and general selfesteem, as well as negative ones between variables of going in for sport and external locus of control were found in the whole sample of subjects and in the sample of boys, but not of girls. The sex role stereotypes and greater importance that the culture puts on success in sport for boys have contributed to such results. The sex differences in correlations between variables of self-concept and going in for sport suggest that going in for sport influences general self-esteem and locus of control in adolescents through social feedback and social evaluation of sport achievement and physical fitness. .

Keywords

• self-concept
• self-esteem
• locus of control
• sport
• athletes
• adolescents