Empathic Accuracy, Meta-Perspective, and Satisfaction in the Coach-Athlete Relationship

Abstract

This study investigated the empathic accuracy of sixty coach-athlete dyads, its antecedents (meta-perceptions of relationship) and consequences (perceptions of satisfaction). An adaptation of Ickes's (2001) unstructured dyadic interaction paradigm was used to assess empathic accuracy whereby coach-athlete dyads were filmed during training. A selection of video clips containing the dyads' interactions during a typical training session were shown to them. The dyad members were asked to report their recollected thoughts and/or feelings while making inferences about what their partner's thought and felt at specific points of interaction. Empathic accuracy was estimated by comparing the dyads' self-reports and inferences. The results of a structural equation model analysis indicated an association between members' meta-perceptions or judgments that their partner is positive about the athletic relationship and increased empathic accuracy. Increased empathic accuracy was in turn associated with higher levels of satisfaction. These results are discussed based on issues they raise for theory and measurement.

The Application of Coach Leadership Models to Coaching Practice: Current State and Future Directions

“…Numerous researchers have used this measure as an indication of the effectiveness of coach leadership [eg. 19,[39][40][41]. However, satisfaction is only one of a number of important and well-defined outcomes present in the literature.…”

An Attachment Theory Perspective in the Examination of Relational Processes Associated With Coach-Athlete Dyads

“…For example, research has examined gender, relationship length, performance level, and sport type as potential determinants and moderators of the quality of the coach-athlete relationship (see, e.g., Jowett, 2008a;Jowett & Nezlek, 2012;Jowett & Clark-Carter, 2006). Moreover, research has examined important correlates of the quality of the coachathlete relationship, including team cohesion (Jowett & Chaundy, 2004), athletes' physical self-concept (Jowett, 2008a), motivation (Adie & Jowett, 2010), passion for sport (Lafreniere, Jowett, Vallerand, Donahue, & Lorimer, 2008; Study 1), empathic accuracy (Lorimer & Jowett, 2009), satisfaction with sport (Lorimer, 2011), and efficacy beliefs (Jackson, Grove, & Beauchamp, 2010).…”

The Development of Empathic Accuracy in Sports Coaches

“…More specifically, empathy can be defined as empathic accuracy, which is the capacity to accurately perceive, from moment-to-moment, the psychological condition of another, such as their motivations and the reasoning behind their behaviors (Ickes, 2003). Hence, it is not enough for a coach to simply attempt to work out what their athlete is thinking or feeling; they must be correct in these perceptions (Lorimer & Jowett, 2009a) It has been argued that knowing someone like facts in a book is not enough and that coaches need to identify with their athletes in order to truly understand their needs (cf. Losoya & Eisenberg, 2001).…”

“…Sympathy and other emotional responses proceed expectancy and depend only on the belief that another is feeling a certain way (Batsom, 1991). Empathic accuracy acts as a source of information about what an athlete is thinking and feeling (Lorimer & Jowett, 2009a). This is a resource that you as a coach can draw upon to form accurate inferences and expectancies of athletes and to correctly respond to individual athletes.…”