This thesis is presented as a collection of four studies in which the associations between athlete attachment styles, perceptions of basic psychological needs, and experiences of well/ill-being are examined. The first study of this thesis examined the mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction, within the coach and parent relational contexts, in the associations between athletes (N = 430) global attachment styles and their experiences of well-being. Results demonstrated that satisfaction of the athletes basic psychological needs did mediate the associations between attachment styles and well-being. Study 2 examined whether mean differences and changes in athletes (N = 110) attachment style predicted psychological need satisfaction, within two relational contexts (coach and parent), and well-being, and whether mean differences and changes in need satisfaction within the relational contexts predicted well-being. Findings from the study provide further support for the role of attachment in need satisfaction and well-being within sport psychology, as well as highlighting important within- and between-person effects. Study 3 aimed to examine the possible social mechanisms that affect insecure athletes (N = 215) perceptions of basic need satisfaction. The social factors investigated as possible mediators were social support, interpersonal conflict, autonomy supportive behaviours, and controlling behaviours, each examined within both the coach and parent relational contexts. The findings of Study 3 highlighted that social factors have an important role in explaining the associations between athletes insecure attachment styles and their perceptions of basic psychological need satisfaction within two important relationships. The final study presented in this thesis aimed to focus on how thwarting of athletes basic psychological needs impacted upon athletes experiences of both well- and ill-being. Study 4 also measured athletes (N = 241) attachment styles to the coach specifically. Findings revealed that when athletes perceptions of their basic psychological needs were actively thwarted, within both aforementioned contexts, athletes insecure attachment to the coach impacted upon experiences of well- and ill-being. Overall, the findings of the current research have supplied new knowledge and understanding concerning athletes psychological functioning through the employment of established theoretical frameworks.

La relation affective entre le maître et l’élève n’est pas une notion évidente à considérer et à mettre en pratique dans la relation d’enseignement en France. De nombreuses études étrangères, pourtant, montrent les bénéfices d’une telle relation lorsqu’elle est de qualité et éclairée par les principes fondamentaux de la théorie de l’attachement (Bowlby, 1978). L’objectif de cette étude, est d’observer, en utilisant la méthode éthologique, les affects et la relation affective qui se met en place entre l’enfant et l’enseignant au cours d’interactions pédagogiques en grande section de maternelle, dans les quartiers très défavorisés. Nous utilisons la théorie de l’attachement afin de constater si l’attachement développé par l’enfant a un impact sur les diverses actions pédagogiques et de soutien de l’enseignant au cours de la réalisation (attention conjointe) d’une tâche-problème : en quoi l’attitude enseignante est susceptible de favoriser l’entrée de l’enfant de maternelle dans les apprentissages ? Les résultats nous montrent qu’un des éléments primordial de l’attitude enseignante serait la capacité d’adaptation au comportement de l’enfant, la flexibilité de l’enseignant face à de jeunes enfants présentant des difficultés sociales et scolaires. Bien qu’il s’agisse d’une étude, s’appuyant sur peu de sujets (19 enfants), il est possible d’observer que l’engagement relationnel et pédagogique de l’enseignant peut sécuriser des enfants jusque-là très en difficulté et les amener à une réussite positive au cours d’une tâche-problème. / The affective relationship between teacher and child is not an obvious notion to consider and put into practice in the teaching relationship, in France. Many foreign studies, however, reap the benefits of such a relationship when it is of high quality and enlightened by the fundamental principles of Attachment Theory (Bowlby, 1978). The objective of this research is to observe, using the ethological method, the affects and the affective relationship that develops between the child and the teacher during pedagogical interactions in the last year of prescool, in a disadvantaged area. We use the Attachment Theory in order to ascertain whether the attachment developed by the child has an impact on the various pedagogical actions and support of the teacher during the realization (joint attention) of a task-problem: in what way the teaching attitude is likely to favor the entry of the preschool child into teaching relationship. The results show that one of the essential elements of the teacher's attitude would be the ability to adapt to the child's behavior, the teacher's flexibility in dealing with young children with social and academic difficulties. Although it is a qualitative study, relying on few subjects (19 children), it is possible to observe that the relational and pedagogical commitment of the teacher can secure children until then very difficult and bring them to a positive success, during a problem-solving-operation.