"Comparative Analysis Of Achievement Motivation Across Competitive Levels Among Male And Female Athletes"

The study titled Comparative Analysis of Achievement Motivation Across Competitive Levels Among Male and Female Athletes examines achievement motivation across different competitive levels—Senior National, University, and State level—for male and female athletes. Ninety-six athletes (N=96), equally divided among the three levels, participated in this research. The Sports Achievement Motivation Test developed by Kamlesh in 1990 was employed to measure achievement motivation levels. Results indicated that male athletes exhibit the highest motivation at the Senior National level (mean = 26.67, SD = 2.995) with low variability. In contrast, female athletes at the same level show greater variability (mean = 24.50, SD = 4.249). At the State level, males experience a decline in motivation (mean = 22.32, SD = 3.902), while females demonstrate a higher and more consistent motivation (mean = 23.71, SD = 3.147). At the University level, males' motivation further shows a decline (mean = 21.89, SD = 3.971), whereas females' motivation were found to be higher (mean = 25.08, SD = 4.212), though with high variability. Two -Way ANOVA results reveal that while gender alone does not significantly affect motivation (F = 0.86, p = 0.36), the competitive level and its interaction with gender significantly impact motivation (F = 3.40, p = 0.04; F = 3.69, p = 0.03). These findings suggest that motivation patterns are influenced by competitive levels and the interaction between gender and level.