Abstract:
This is an examination of the impact of values on participation in competitive swimming in Singapore and Australia. Values are the broad goals or criteria that direct individual behaviour previously initiated by motivational traits such as needs, interests, and attitudes. Values are conceptualized as being related to personality in that they account for individual differences. Subjects, who competed in the National Age-Group Championships of their respective countries, completed the values instrument developed by Schwartz and Bilsky (1987, 1990) and refined by Schwartz (1992, 1995).
Similarity structure analysis (SSA) and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were the tools of analysis. Significant main effects were reported for group and gender, but not the group/gender interaction. Australian swimmers placed more emphasis on achievement, hedonism, stimulation, and self-direction than their Singaporean counterparts. Singaporean swimmers placed more emphasis on universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity, security and power than their Australian counterparts. The achievement value type was the highest in value type priority for both groups.
Similarity structure analysis (SSA) and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were the tools of analysis. Significant main effects were reported for group and gender, but not the group/gender interaction. Australian swimmers placed more emphasis on achievement, hedonism, stimulation, and self-direction than their Singaporean counterparts. Singaporean swimmers placed more emphasis on universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity, security and power than their Australian counterparts. The achievement value type was the highest in value type priority for both groups.