2010 Volume 37 Issue 2 Pages 89-99
The purpose of this study was to investigate causal relationships reciprocally between sport experience in athletic clubs and life skills acquisition, through a three-wave panel study conducted at three-month intervals.
Structural equation modeling on the cross-lagged effect model was conducted using panel data obtained from 173 students (93 males and 80 females) who completed questionnaires on sport experience in university athletic clubs (on self-disclosure, daily life guidance from leaders, challenge / achievement, support from others, and effort / endurance), and their level of acquisition of life skills (intrapersonal and interpersonal skills).
The results suggested that (1) self-disclosure, support from others, and effort / endurance each had positive causal effects on interpersonal skills acquisition, (2) intrapersonal and interpersonal skills each had positive causal effects on self-disclosure and challenge/achievement experience, (3) there was no causal relationship between daily life guidance from leaders and life skills, and (4) a positive cycle of causality existed between self-disclosure and interpersonal skills.
In conclusion, this longitudinal research supported previous studies in sport psychology which supposed that sport experience promotes life skills acquisition, and suggested that a reciprocal causal relationship existed between sport experience in athletic clubs and life skills.
