Antecedents, accuracy and consequences of parental behaviours: A cross sectional study based on Eccles Expectancy-Value model.

International audienceRecent reviews of the literature raise questions about parental influence in sport. Based on Eccles' model, this study investigated the relationships between certain antecedents of parents' behaviours, athletes' perceptions of their parents' behaviours and sport outcomes. 161 athletes, 134 mothers and 114 fathers volunteered to participate in the study. Questionnaires assessed parents' perceptions of their child and selfreported behaviours; athletes' perceptions of their parents' behaviours, perceived competence, and value accorded to their activity. The analyses revealed significant relationships between (a) athletes' sex and age, and parents' child-specific beliefs, and (b) the four categories of behaviours - Active Involvement, Praise and Understanding, Directive Behaviour, Pressure - for mothers and fathers, respectively. There were also significant correlations between parents' self-reported behaviours and athletes' perceptions. Finally, perceived parental behaviours significantly predicted perceived athletes' sport competence and value. Taken together, the results contribute to enrich the complex picture of parents' socialization in sport