The Effects of Psychological Need Thwarting and Controlled Motivation on Controlling Coaching Behaviors among Taekwondo coaches

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of Taekwondo coaches’ psychological need frustration (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and controlled motivation (external regulation, introjected regulation) on controlling coaching behaviors (controlling behavior, psychological control). A survey was conducted with 289 Taekwondo coaches participating in a global Taekwondo instructor training program, and data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and Mplus 8.11 through confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results of the study revealed the following: First, autonomy and relatedness need frustration had a positive effect on both controlling behavior and psychological control, while competence need frustration negatively influenced psychological control. Second, external regulation strengthened psychological control, whereas introjected regulation acted to suppress it. These findings suggest that controlling coaching behavior varies depending on the psychological states and motivational types of coaches, highlighting the need for educational interventions aimed at preventing and improving such behaviors.