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Beneath the surface—the implicit achievement motive interacts with competitive anxiety in predicting adolescent swimmers’ performance

Ellen Kerpen & Jan Hofer

Motivation and Emotion2026https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-026-10213-warticle
ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

The implicit achievement motive ( n Achievement) typically shows positive effects on individuals’ performance in different achievement contexts. Recent findings suggest that this association is furthermore qualified by other personality dispositions. Still, research on achievement-related moderators of the effect of n Achievement on objective performance remains sparse, specifically in children and adolescents. In the present study, we examined the relationship of n Achievement on swimming performance by considering effects of competitive anxiety. We hypothesized a positive link between n Achievement and swimming performance, but only when competitive anxiety is weakly or moderately pronounced. We assessed data of 139 German children and adolescents (75 girls) aged between 7 and 18 years. Results mostly support our hypotheses. There was no significant main effect of n Achievement on swimming performance. However, competitive anxiety interacted significantly with n Achievement in predicting sports performance: n Achievement showed a positive association with objective swimming performance only in participants with weakly pronounced competitive anxiety. Findings are discussed with respect to existing models of n Achievement and competitive anxiety as well as their conjoint significance for performance in sports contexts.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-026-10213-w

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@article{ellen2026,
  title        = {{Beneath the surface—the implicit achievement motive interacts with competitive anxiety in predicting adolescent swimmers’ performance}},
  author       = {Ellen Kerpen & Jan Hofer},
  journal      = {Motivation and Emotion},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-026-10213-w},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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