Investigation of the relationship between basic psychological needs and athlete commitment in boxers

The main objective of this research is to examine the relationship between the basic psychological needs of boxers and their athlete commitment levels and to analyze how this relationship varies in the context of demographic variables. Accordingly, 282 athletes who have been actively practicing the sport of boxing as of 2025 constitute the sample group of the research. In the research process, relational screening model, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was adopted. In the data collection process, the Personal Information Form, Basic Psychological Needs Scale in Exercise and Athlete Commitment Scale were applied to the participants. The obtained data were analyzed through statistical methods such as percentage and frequency distributions, Pearson correlation analysis, independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The research findings revealed that there was no significant difference in terms of the variable of being a national athlete within the scope of the Basic Psychological Needs Scale in Exercise. On the other hand, it was determined that significant differences and relationships existed according to the variables of gender, age, age in sport and perceived income level. In the analyses made in the context of the Athlete Commitment Scale; No significant differences were found regarding the variables of gender and national athlete status. While no significant relationship was found between the variables of age and athletic age and athlete commitment, significant differences were found for the variable of perceived income level. Finally, inter-scale correlation analyses revealed a moderate and positive relationship between the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale and the Athlete Commitment Scale. This finding suggests that meeting basic psychological needs can positively impact athlete commitment.