A influência das caraterísticas pessoais na motivação de atletas e praticantes de desporto: Uma revisão narrativa

Mariana Ribeiro; Ana Paula Monteiro; Liliana Mendes

doi:10.6063/motricidade.39811

The influence of personal characteristics on the motivation of athletes and sports practitioners: A narrative review

Authors

Mariana Ribeiro Escola de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7246-6686
Ana Paula Monteiro Department of Education and Psychology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4082-1474
Liliana Mendes School of Psychology and Life Sciences (EPCV), Lusófona University, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7938-6166

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.39811

Keywords:

sport, personality, motivation, sex, age, experience level

Abstract

Motivation is a central factor in adherence, persistence, and performance in the sports context and is influenced by individual and contextual variables. Despite the extensive scientific production, the literature is fragmented regarding the integration of motivation, personality traits, age, sex, and level of sports experience. The present study aimed to integrate and synthesise evidence on the influence of personal characteristics on the motivation of athletes and sports practitioners through a narrative review. Studies published between 2004 and 2024, identified in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases, were analysed. The literature synthesis was framed by classical models of motivation, such as Self-Determination Theory, Achievement Goal Theory, and Achievement Motivation Theory, articulated with the Five-Factor Theory of Personality. The results indicate that traits such as extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability are associated with more self-determined forms of motivation and higher performance levels, especially in highly competitive contexts. Age and sports experience are determinants of motivational orientation, reflecting changes in goals and motives throughout the life cycle. Differences between sexes and between individual and team sports appear context-dependent, showing distinct patterns of motivation and personality. It is concluded that sports motivation emerges from the interaction between personal and contextual characteristics, highlighting its contribution to the understanding of motivational behaviour and sports well-being.

Downloads

PDF draft (Português (Portugal))

Published

2026-03-30

How to Cite

Ribeiro, M., Monteiro, A. P., & Mendes, L. (2026). The influence of personal characteristics on the motivation of athletes and sports practitioners: A narrative review. Motricidade, 22, e39811. https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.39811

Download Citation

Issue

Vol. 22 (2026): Motricidade

Section

Review Article

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright of their work.

Upon acceptance for publication, authors grant Sílabas Didáticas, LDA an exclusive licence to publish, reproduce, distribute, communicate the article to the public, and identify itself as the original publisher of the article in print and electronic formats, including its indexing and dissemination through databases, repositories, and other scholarly platforms.

Published articles are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence (CC BY-NC 4.0). Under this licence, users may read, download, copy, share, distribute, print, search, link to, and reproduce the articles for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the author(s) and to Journal Motricidade, a link to the licence is provided, and any changes made are indicated.

Authors may deposit the final published version of the article (Version of Record) in institutional repositories, subject repositories, academic networks, or personal websites, provided that the original publication is properly cited.