Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports
Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports is a research topic within Social Psychology. Science Explorer counts 29k research works in it since 1951. 26.3% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers explores the application and implications of Self-Determination Theory in understanding human motivation, well-being, and behavior across various domains such as education, sports, and health. It delves into topics such as intrinsic motivation, autonomy support, psychological needs satisfaction, motivational climate, and the impact on individual and social development.
- Self-Determination Theory
- Intrinsic Motivation
- Autonomy Support
- Psychological Needs
- Motivational Climate
- Well-Being
- Exercise Motivation
- Goal Pursuits
- Social Development
- Teacher Strategies
- Research works
- 29k fractional, since 1951
- In the world top 10%
- 7.6k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 26.3% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +46% the tick is no change
Which countries lead Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports research?
By volume, the United States and China publish the most (920 and 692 works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 United States 920 works
- 2 China 692 works
- 3 Türkiye 648 works
- 4 Spain 411 works
- 5 United Kingdom 349 works
- 6 Germany 340 works
- 7 Canada 260 works
- 8 Australia 209 works
- 9 Brazil 205 works
- 10 Indonesia 192 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports research?
By volume in 2022–2025, Universidad de Extremadura publishes the most Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports research, followed by Beijing Normal University and Indonesia University of Education.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 Universidad de ExtremaduraSpain 34 works
- 2 Beijing Normal UniversityChina 30 works
- 3 Indonesia University of EducationIndonesia 25 works
- 4 German Sport University CologneGermany 25 works
- 5 Yogyakarta State UniversityIndonesia 25 works
- 6 Universidad de GranadaSpain 24 works
- 7 Gazi HastanesiTürkiye 23 works
- 8 Adamson UniversityPhilippines 23 works
- 9 Loughborough UniversityUnited Kingdom 23 works
- 10 Mi̇lli̇ Eği̇ti̇m BakanliğiTürkiye 21 works
Who are the leading researchers in Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports?
The most-cited researchers publishing on Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports include Richard M. Ryan, Edward L. Deci and Wilmar B. Schaufeli.
- 1 Richard M. Ryan United States 10k citations
- 2 Edward L. Deci United States 7.3k citations
- 3 Wilmar B. Schaufeli Netherlands 5.3k citations
- 4 Herbert W. Marsh Australia 4.6k citations
- 5 Robert J. Sternberg United States 4.4k citations
- 6 Jacquelynne S. Eccles United States 3.6k citations
- 7 Roy F. Baumeister United States 3.6k citations
- 8 Edwin A. Locke United States 3.5k citations
- 9 Jaakko Kaprio Finland 3.4k citations
Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.
Where is Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports research done?
The largest centres of Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports research in 2022–2025 are Beijing (China), Ankara (Türkiye), Istanbul (Türkiye) and Shanghai (China). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Badajoz.
Largest cities, 2022–2025
Where it is the local speciality
- BadajozES · 34.7 works22×
Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports than the world average.
Where is the best place to study Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports?
Among universities, judged by research, Australian Catholic University, Education University of Hong Kong and Norwegian School of Sport Sciences score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australian Catholic UniversityAustralia | 77.9 | 64.2% | 17.8× | 13 | +291.0% |
| 2 | Education University of Hong KongHong Kong | 72.5 | 57.3% | 18.3× | 19 | +30.0% |
| 3 | Norwegian School of Sport SciencesNorway | 70.8 | 58.9% | 95.7× | 13 | +45.9% |
| 4 | University of AlmeríaSpain | 69.8 | 39.7% | 15.5× | 16 | +212.6% |
| 5 | Universidad de ExtremaduraSpain | 66.5 | 32.6% | 24.1× | 34 | +26.7% |
| 6 | German Sport University CologneGermany | 66.4 | 31.0% | 62.1× | 25 | +102.9% |
| 7 | University of JyväskyläFinland | 65.7 | 36.4% | 13.6× | 17 | +104.6% |
| 8 | Loughborough UniversityUnited Kingdom | 65.0 | 42.2% | 13.7× | 23 | -14.7% |
| 9 | Beijing Normal UniversityChina | 64.2 | 50.9% | 6.2× | 30 | +57.1% |
| 10 | University of AugsburgGermany | 61.7 | 52.2% | 8.5× | 8 | +196.4% |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 46% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.