Differences in Approach and Avoidance Motivation Sensitivities Predicting Participation and Performance in Strength Sport

Gray’s Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory proposes that individual differences in behavior are due to sensitivity to two brain systems: the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), which regulates aversive emotions to threatening stimuli, and the Behavioral Approach System (BAS), which regulates positive emotions towards rewarding or non-punishing stimuli. The current study investigated whether BIS and BAS sensitivity predicts participation and performance in strength sports. A sample of 177 competitive strength athletes (male = 148; female = 29; mean age = 28.68; SD = 6.24 years) and 178 control participants (male = 89; female = 89; mean age = 29.39; SD =7.42) completed the BIS/BAS scale, with strength athletes also providing their Wilks scores as a measure of sporting performance. Independent t-tests showed significantly higher BIS (MD = 2.37, p=0.003, 95% CI [0.79, 3.94] d=0.31) and total BAS (MD = 11.71, p<0.001, 95% CI [9.26, 14.15] d=1.00) sensitivity in strength athletes than individuals in the control group. A 3-step hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the number of training years (β=0.506, p<.001), BIS (β=-203, p=.005) and BAS Drive (β=.188, p=.012) made significant unique contributions to predicting Wilks score, with no significant contributions of age, sex, BAS Fun Seeking, and BAS Reward Responsiveness. The findings indicate that the overall reward sensitivity (total BAS score) and reward seeking (BAS drive) are associated positively with participation and performance in strength sports, respectively. Given the association of these brain systems to addiction and other psychiatric disorders, the findings could have implications in psychiatric treatment and sporting recruitment.