INFLUENCE OF BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS AND SPORT IMAGERY ABILITY ON THE ENGAGEMENT AMONG COMBATIVE SPORTS ATHLETES: A CONVERGENT DESIGN

This study employed a mixed methods design, specifically a convergent design, to explore the influence of basic psychological needs and sports imagery ability on athlete engagement among combative sports athletes in Region XI. Stratified and purposive sampling techniques were used to select participants. Quantitative data were collected using validated questionnaires and analyzed through mean, standard deviation, and multiple linear regression, while qualitative data from interviews were examined using thematic analysis. Data revealed a significant influence of basic psychological needs and sport imagery ability on athlete engagement. Lived experiences emphasized self-belief, extra effort, holistic training, balancing responsibilities, collaboration, personal fulfillment, and familial bonds. Experiences shaped attitudes through personal growth and discipline, beliefs through growth, opportunity, resilience, perseverance, and commitment through strong dedication and motivation from past experiences. The data integration resulted in merging converging for confidence and autonomy with the experiences of training for holistic athletic performance, goal images with the experiences defining success through personal fulfillment, and confidence with the experiences of dedicating extra effort. Goal images also demonstrated a merging-expansion dynamic with experiences of defining success through personal fulfillment, as athlete engagement extended to aspirations such as competing in prestigious events like the Olympics.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0607/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>