The purpose of the present study was to examine coaches' perception of high and low expectancy athletes' ability and effort expenditure over one half of a season. An additional aim was to examine the direction of any perceived changes in high and low expectancy athletes. Data were collected from 25 coaches based on interactions with 200 athletes using Darley and Fazio's (1980) Expectancy Confirmation process as a theoretical framework. Coaches reported limited flexibility in their perceptions of high and low expectancy athletes. Furthermore, coaches perceived that high expectancy athletes generally exceeded their expectations whereas their low expectancy counterparts either failed to meet their expectations or remained constant after a four-month period. Implications are discussed in terms of differential treatment according to expectancy status, athletic progression and continued participation in sport.
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