Abstract
Consideration of Future Consequences (CFC) is the extent that people consider the future outcomes of current behaviours (Joireman et al., 2006). It may differentiate athletes' dispositions to self-regulate and enhance amounts of sport practice (Barone et al., 1997). This study explored whether CFC had a bearing on relationships between self-regulated learning (SRL), deliberate practice (DP), and acquired skill. 272 North American individual sport athletes ranging from local to international level (196 male; Mage = 22.48, range 18-35; MDP = 12.95 weekly hrs, SD = 6.47) completed the SRL-SRS for Sport Training (Bartulovic et al., 2017), the CFC-14 (CFC-Future, CFC-Immediate; Joireman et al., 2012), and reported weekly DP amounts. A MANOVA tested differences in CFC-F and CFC-I between recreationally competitive, less-elite and elite groups. Results showed no differences (ps > .09). Second, correlational analyses showed no associations between CFC-F (r = -.05, p = .39) or CFC-I (r = .11, p = .06) with DP. To further explore whether associations between SRL and DP depended on CFC, CFC-I and CFC-F were each tested as a moderator; results showed no moderating effects (ps > .14). There were notable correlations (ps < .01) between CFC-F and overall self-regulation (r = .35), and each of six constituent SRL-SRS processes (.21 to .27). CFC-I correlated with four SRL processes (-.14 to -.17). Discussion focuses on CFC-F as an antecedent to SRL-SRS rather than a moderator of associations between SRL and DP, as well as the future role of CFC in sport expertise research.
