Différents courants de recherches se sont intéressés à identifier les compliments à éviter afin de ne pas nuire au développement de l’estime de soi et des processus motivationnels optimaux chez les enfants (p.ex. Kamins et Dweck, 1999 ; Kast et Konnor, 1988). Pourtant, aucune étude n’avait tenté d’identifier les compliments potentiellement optimaux pour favoriser ces développements. À travers 3 études, cette thèse exploratoire visait ainsi à comparer différents types de compliments recensés comme positifs dans la documentation à l’aide d’un échantillon de dyades mères-enfants (N = 65 ; Âge moyen des enfants = 10,20 ans). La première étude de la thèse a examiné les relations entre les différents types de compliments, d’une part, et l’estime de soi et les processus motivationnels des enfants, d’autre part, tout en contrôlant pour les variables démographiques de sexe et d’âge des enfants. Étant donné que les différents types de compliments étaient hautement susceptibles de coexister, mais qu’ils n’avaient jamais été comparés au sein d’une même étude, leurs relations avec les variables dépendantes ont été examinées en considérant également leurs interrelations à l’aide de régressions multiples. La deuxième étude de cette thèse visait à mettre en lumière les liens entre la perception des enfants des pratiques parentales typiques de leur mère et les compliments recensés comme positifs dans la documentation grâce à des questionnaires complétés par les enfants et leur mère. La troisième étude, de nature expérimentale, a examiné les impacts situationnels des compliments comparatifs, orientés vers le résultat et descriptifs sur la compétence perçue (ou l’estime de soi situationnelle) et les processus motivationnels des enfants en s’intéressant aux impacts potentiels de trois modérateurs susceptibles d’accentuer ou de diminuer l’impact de la manipulation expérimentale, soit le sexe, l’âge et l’estime de soi globale des enfants. Les principaux résultats révèlent qu’il est possible de dresser un portrait des compliments rapportés comme positifs dans la documentation en distinguant quatre types : les compliments comparatifs, orientés vers le résultat, orientés vers l’effort et descriptifs. Deux de ces compliments, les compliments orientés vers le résultat et les compliments orientés vers l’effort, semblent être les plus utilisés. La thèse révèle également que seul le compliment descriptif semble lié positivement à l’estime de soi des enfants (globale et situationnelle), en particulier chez les filles et chez les enfants ayant une estime de soi plus faible que la moyenne. À travers ces trois objectifs, cette thèse contribue à l’avancement des connaissances sur les compliments, à la théorie de l’autodétermination (TAD) et permet d’identifier des pistes d’interventions qui permettront aux parents d’intervenir et de communiquer de façon optimale auprès de leurs enfants. / Different lines of research have focused on compliments that parents should avoid in order not to jeopardize the development of children’s self-esteem and optimal motivational processes (e.g. Kamins and Dweck, 1999; Kast and Konnor, 1988). However, no study had yet attempted to identify potentially optimal compliments to favor these developments. Through three studies, this exploratory thesis thus aimed at comparing different compliments conceptualized as positive in the literature using a sample of mother-child dyads (N = 65, mean age of the children = 10.20 years). The first study examined the relations between different types of compliments, on one hand, and children's self-esteem and motivational processes on the other, while controlling for demographic variables of children’s sex and age. Given that the different types of compliments were likely to coexist but were never compared in a single study, their relations with the dependent variables were examined while also controlling for their interrelations using multiple regressions. The second study aimed at highlighting the links between children's perception of their mother typical parenting practices and the different types of compliments conceptualized as positive in the literature. To investigate these relations, we relied on questionnaires filled out by two different respondents (children and their mothers). The third study relied on an experimental design to investigate the situational impacts of comparative, result-oriented and descriptive compliments on children's perceived competence (or their situational self-esteem) and motivational processes, with a focus on the potential impacts of three moderators likely to accentuate, or reduce, the effect of the experimental manipulation (i.e. sex, age and children's global self-esteem). The main results show that it is possible to provide a comprehensive portrait of the compliments conceptualized as positive in the literature by distinguishing four types: comparative, result-oriented, process-oriented and descriptive compliments. Two of these compliments, namely result-oriented compliments and process-oriented compliments, seem to be the most used. The thesis also reveals that only descriptive compliments seem positively related to children's self-esteem (global and situational), especially for girls and children reporting lower than average self-esteem. Through the pursuit of these three objectives, this thesis contributes to the advancement of knowledge on compliments, to self-determination theory (SDT) and helps identify intervention avenues that will allow parents to intervene and communicate optimally with their children.

In today’s sport careers there is no room for error. This is why athletes should be “on top of their game” every time they compete. It is very important for athletes to keep their emotions under control, because emotions can sometimes determine success or failure. But more important is how the athlete reacts to success and failure. Therefore, in this study the aim was to establish an athlete’s reaction to success and failure. An athlete should have the ability or strategy to handle success and failure. According to this statement, it underlines the importance of the current study. The fact that there are limited resources in this field accentuates the need for this study. Each athlete experiences and reacts to success or failure differently. An athlete can use success or failure as a facilitator or as a debilitator. If an athlete sees success or failure as a facilitator, he or she will use success or failure as a method to enhance his or her performance. But if an athlete sees success and failure as a debilitator, it means that the athlete does not have the ability or skills to use success or failure to his or her advantage. It seems that elite athletes may have the skills or ability to use success and failure as a facilitator and not as a debilitator owing to the fact that in the elite arena there is no place for errors. In this study, the researcher examines how elite and beginner athlete’s handle success and failure and what their reaction is towards success and failure. Each athlete has a unique way to develop his or her talents. Athletes who believe that they are born with limited talent or ability and cannot improve this talent by more practice or more effort can be classified as having a static mindset. When athletes believe that they can improve their talent or ability, they could be seen as athletes with a growth mindset. This study made use of a combination of convenient and random sampling. Each athlete had to comply with the criterium to be part of the study. The criterium stipulated that each athlete should be an active participant in sport either at school-, provincial-, national- or international level. To determine what goal orientation each athlete had, they were asked to fill out the task- and ego orientation in sport questionnaire. To determine what their reactions to success and failure were, athletes completed an assessment of success and failure questionnaire that was self-developed by the present researcher Roelie Potgieter and his study leader professor Ben Steyn. The self-theory questionnaire that was completed by the athletes determined whether an athlete was in the fixed or growth mindset. Using the results determined through the questionnaires that were completed by the athletes, correlations could be made to motivate the study. Task orientation and the growth mindset is more predominant than ego orientation and the fixed mindset. Athletes in general react more constructively towards success and failure. A strong correlation was found between task orientation and positive reaction to success and failure. Partial correlation between ego orientation and positive reaction to success was found. Positive relations were discovered between task orientation and the growth mindset, as well as ego orientation and the fixed mindset. AFRIKAANS : In vandag se sportloopbane is daar geen ruimte vir foute nie. Vir hierdie rede moet ‘n atleet ten alle tye op sy of haar beste wees. Dit is baie belangrik vir ‘n atleet om sy emosies in toom te hou, want somtyds kan die atleet se emosies bepaal of hy of sy sukses of mislukking gaan ervaar. Daarom is die doel van die studie om die reaksie van atlete op sukses en mislukking te bepaal. Die feit dat daar ‘n beperkte hoeveelheid navorsing oor die tema van die studie is beklemtoon weereens die belangrikheid van die studie. Elke atleet ervaar en reageer verskillend op sukses en mislukking. ‘n Atleet kan sukses of mislukking gebruik as ‘n fasiliteerder of as ‘n debiliteerder. As ‘n atleet sukses of mislukking sien as ‘n fasiliteerder, sal die atleet sukses of mislukking gebruik as ‘n metode om sy of haar prestasie/s te verbeter. Indien ‘n atleet sukses en mislukking sien as ‘n debiliteerder, beteken dit dat die atleet nie die vermoë of vaardighede het om sukses of mislukking te gebruik tot sy of haar voordeel nie. Dit wil voorkom dat elite atlete die vermoë of vaardighede het om sukses en mislukking te gebruik tot hulle voordeel, as gevolg van die feit dat daar geen plek vir foute tydens die kompetisie is nie. In die studie probeer die navorser bepaal hoe elite- en beginner atlete sukses en mislukking hanteer en wat hulle reaksie op sukses en mislukking is. Elke atleet het ‘n unieke manier om sy of haar talente te ontwikkel. Atlete wat glo dat hulle gebore is met ‘n talent of vermoë en kan nie die talent verbeter met oefening of ‘n groter poging kan geklassifiseer word as statiese instelling. Indien die atleet glo dat hulle, hulle talent kan verbeter, kan dit gesien word as ‘n groeiende instelling. Hierdie studie maak van die gemaklike sowel as die ewekamsige steekproefmetode gebruik. Elke deelnemer moes voldoen aan sekere kriterium om deel te wees van die studie. Die studie se kriteria het beklemtoon dat elke atleet aktief betrokke in ‘n sekere sportsoort moet wees, mag dit wees op skool-, provinsiale-, nasionale- of internasionale vlak. Om te bepaal watter tipe doeloriëntering elke atleet is was hulle gevra om die taak en ego oriëntasie vraelys in te vul. Deur die verwysing kan bepaal word wat hulle reaksie is tot sukses en mislukking, was daar van die atlete verwag om die vrae oor sukses en mislukking te voltooi. Die selfteorie vraelys wat deur die atlete voltooi is, het bepaal of die atlleet ‘n statiese of groeinde instelling het. Deur gebruik te maak van die resultate van die vraelyste wat voltooi is deur die atlete kon daar korrelasies gemaak word. Taakoriëntasie en die groeiende instelling is meer dominant as die ego oriëntasie en die statiese instelling. Atlete in die algemeen reageer meer konstruktief teenoor sukses en mislukking. ‘n Sterk korrelasie was gevind deur taakoriëntasie en positiewe reaksie tot sukses en mislukking. Gedeeltelike korrelasie kon gemaak word tussen ego oriëntasie en positiewe reaksie tot sukses. ‘n Positiewe korrelasie kon gemaak word tussen taakoriëntasie en groeiende instelling, asook ego oriëntasie en statiese instelling. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / unrestricted

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