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COLUMBIA, Mo., Jan 12, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A researcher at the University of Missouri in Columbia says most parents do not encourage their children to be aggressive athletes.
"You might expect youth hockey to emphasize winning over skill development, but many parents and youth report an emphasis on skill development," said David Bergin, an educational psychology professor.
Bergin and co-author Steven Habusta surveyed 123 youth hockey players and the parents most involved in their sports participation to measure task and ego orientations.
When people are task-oriented, they focus on thoughts and behaviors that will improve their competence, the study said. Those that are ego-oriented tend to focus on thoughts and behaviors that will protect their ego and make them feel better than others.
The researchers found ratings of boys and parents were higher for task goals than for ego goals. Mothers and fathers did not differ in their goal orientations, and parents' goals were similar to their sons'.
Boys on highly competitive travel teams were no more ego-oriented than boys who were on non-travel, skill development teams.
The study results will be published in The Journal of Genetic Psychology.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
