Table 1. Consultant characteristics preferred by elite Malaysian athletes Type of Service Delivery Full Sample Interactive Sports Coactive Sports n Mean SD n Mean SD n Mean SD Regularly attends training and competition 217 6.13 a 1.10 121 6.17 1.12 96 6.08 1.08 Leads a physically active lifestyle 217 6.05 a 1.12 121 6.18 * 1.08 96 5.88 * 1.14 Emphasizes teaching of mental skills 217 5.97 a 1.02 121 5.93 0.98 96 6.03 1.07 Has prior experience as a coach or athlete 217 5.94 a 1.33 121 5.90 1.45 96 5.98 1.17 Has formal training (or degree) in psychology 217 5.90 a 1.16 121 5.98 1.07 96 5.81 1.26 Emphasizes personal welfare of the athlete 217 5.52 b 1.62 121 5.30 * 1.76 96 5.79 * 1.38 Is the same sex as me (or my team) 217 3.85 c 1.93 121 3.95 2.02 96 3.73 1.81 Significant differences between the interactive and coactive subgroups are indicated by asterisks (*). Significant differences between full sample means are indicated by unique letters (a, b, c).