Sport psychology The attitudes of New Zealand athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine New Zealand athletes’ attitudes towards sport

 

psychology consultation as no similar study has been conducted in New Zealand since 2004.

 

Sixty-two New Zealand athletes (ranging from age-group to international-level), were

 

administered the Sport Psychology Attitudes – Revised questionnaire (SPA-R). New

 

Zealand athletes’ attitudes towards sport psychology have become more positive since 2004. Independent group t-tests demonstrated that athletes in 2020 had significantly higher confidence in sport psychology, and significantly lower levels of personal openness and cultural preference compared to athletes in 2004. There was no significant difference found in stigma tolerance scores. Chi-squared tests were carried out on nine different categories: gender, sport type (contact/non-contact and team/individual), previous exposure, age,

current competitive level, top competitive level, number of individual and group sport

 

psychology sessions, and employment level. Non-contact sport athletes were found to have

 

significantly higher confidence than contact sport athletes and individual sport athletes

 

were found to have significantly higher confidence and cultural preference than team sport

 

athletes. A trend was found with higher level athletes having greater confidence in sport

 

psychology and national level athletes were found to have higher cultural preference than

 

junior athletes. These findings are useful for organisations and practitioners as they

 

 provide an understanding of athletes’ current perceptions and attitudes towards the field.