Coach behaviors, coach–athlete relationships, and competitive psychological processes in elite sport: a temporal narrative synthesis
Frontiers in Psychology, cilt.17, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
- Cilt numarası: 17
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1969318
- Dergi Adı: Frontiers in Psychology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Linguistic Bibliography, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals, MLA International Bibliography
- Anahtar Kelimeler: coach-athlete relationship, coaching behavior, competitive psychological processes, elite sport, seasonal dynamics
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background – Research on coach behavior, coach–athlete relationships, and competitive psychological processes has developed in partly separate literatures, limiting understanding of how these domains interact across an elite competitive cycle. Aims – This review examined how these domains are represented across foundation building, competitive maintenance, peak competition, and post-competition transition, while distinguishing direct temporal evidence from interpretive phase placement. Methods – Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus were searched for peer-reviewed English-language studies published from January 2016 to 22 June 2026. Of 645 records identified, 481 unique records were screened, 205 underwent eligibility assessment, and 30 empirical studies were included. Results – Evidence was strongest for competitive maintenance and peak competition. Repeated-measures, diary, prospective, and event-based studies linked coaching behavior and relationship-related judgments with motivation, well-being, perceived justice, burnout, appraisal, coping, affect, confidence, and perceived performance. Evidence for foundation building was limited, while direct evidence on post-season evaluation and cross-cycle carryover was largely absent. Conclusion – The proposed temporal framework should be viewed as an evidence-informed research architecture rather than an established causal sequence. It highlights phase-specific hypotheses for future research, coach education, and psychological support.