An Analysis of Schmidt and Stein’s Sport Commitment Model and Athlete Profiles

Cristina De Francisco, Cynthia Gómez-Guerra, Ángel Vales-Vázquez and Constantino Arce
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Cristina De Francisco: Social Department, University of Sevilla, 41018 Seville, Spain
Cynthia Gómez-Guerra: Department of Social, Basic and Methodological Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Ángel Vales-Vázquez: Department of Physical and Sports Education, University of A Coruña, 15179 A Coruña, Spain
Constantino Arce: Department of Social, Basic and Methodological Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: The sport commitment model proposed by Schmidt and Stein is one of the most complete paradigms on the etiology of burnout syndrome. According to this model, the degree of burnout of athletes is related to the nature of their commitment to sporting activity. Based on the Benefits, Costs, Satisfaction, Alternatives, and Investments, three types of athletes are defined: (1) athletes who are fully committed because they enjoy the activity; (2) athletes who are committed because they feel trapped; (3) athletes who are not committed and are at risk of abandonment. Analysis of cluster and analysis of variance were performed using data collected from a sample of 357 athletes. The results were aligned with the Schmidt and Stein model predictions in terms of athlete type and partial scores for each component of the model, although with slight variations. The percentage of athletes correctly classified is 99.35% for the cluster of committed athletes; 97.35% for the cluster of entrapped athletes; 96.63% for the cluster of non-committed athletes at risk of abandonment. In conclusion, the sport commitment model provides a useful approach to explain the etiology of burnout in athletes, helping to understand the psychological keys to the syndrome.

Keywords: sport commitment; athlete burnout; entrapment; social exchange theory; sport dropout; love-commitment theory; investment model; sport enjoyment/satisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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