Predictive Ability of Extrinsic Causal Attribution to the Level of Psychological Burnout in Futsal Players

Abstract

The aim of the present research is to explore the predictive power of the dimensions of external causal attribution at the level of psychological burnout among futsal clubs (youth category) participating in the Iraqi league for the 2025-2026 sports season. The researcher used the descriptive approach with correlational and predictive methods as they are appropriate for the nature of the study. The sample included all 124 players from seven sports clubs, and 56 players were selected by stratified random method to build the final predictive model, and these players showed an extrinsic causal attribution pattern. The research included the use of a 21-item psychological burnout scale and a 32-item causal attribution scale, and their psychometric characteristics such as discriminatory truthfulness, internal consistency stability, and Jackson's sensitivity index were verified. The results showed that the players suffered from a psychological burnout level higher than the average by 65.16%. The emotional and mood aspect was the most prominent dimensions of this phenomenon. It was also shown that the pattern of external causal attribution was clearly controlled, especially in the dimensions of attribution to defeat and attribution of poor performance. The results of the gradual multiple regression analysis revealed a high predictive ability, as the dimensions of attribution of defeat and attribution of poor performance explained 65.0% of the total variation in psychological burnout. Based on these findings, the researcher recommended the importance of implementing counseling programs that focus on retraining on causal attribution and providing a psychological preparation specialist accompanying sports teams.