Unit 17 – Psychology for Sports Performance Motivation for Sports Performance - Theories

Task One Using one A4 sheet of paper make the best paper aeroplane that you can. It needs to travel the distance of the room Don’t waste your sheet! Plane designs optional!

What was your motivation for the test? Was it the need to succeed? Was it the fear of not being able to make it?

Achievement Motivation Theory Atkinson (1964) suggested that motivation comes from an individuals personality and is their motivation to strive for success It is this drive that makes athletes want to continue even if they fail or have obstacles in their way Atkinson grouped these athletes into two categories. Need to achieve (NAch) and Need to avoid failure (Naf)

NAch & Naf Need to Achieve. (Low Naf/High NAch) The desire of success far outweighs the fear of failure. Referred to as high achievers Need to Avoid Failure. (Low NAch/High Naf) The fear of failure far outweighs the desire to succeed. Referred to as low achievers.

Task Two Everyone in a circle Pass the tennis ball around the circle Everyone must receive and throw the ball once Remember who last passed the ball to you

What do you attribute the success or failure of this task to? Questions What do you attribute the success or failure of this task to?

Attribution Theory Attribution theory looks at how people explain success and failure Attributions provide explanations for your success or failure and fall into one of the following categories Stability – Is the reason permanent or unstable Causality – Is it something that comes from an internal or external factor? Control – Is it under your conscious control

Task Three Can you make the putt?

Type of attribution Wining example Losing example Stability “I was more able than my opponent” (Stable) “I was unlucky” (Unstable) “I was less able than my opponent” (Stable) “We didn't’t have that bit of luck we needed today” (Unstable) Causality “I tried really hard” (Internal) “My opponent was easy to beat” (External) “I didn't’t try hard enough” (Internal) “My opponent was impossible to beat” (External) Control “I trained really hard for this fight” (Under your control) “He wasn't’t as fit as I was” (Not under your control) “I didn't’t train hard enough for this fight” (Under your control) “He was fitter than I was” (Not under your control)

Effect of Motivation on Sports Performance Positive Someone who is motivated play, perform and train at an optimal level will increase their performance Negative Being over motivated can cause a problem for an athlete Athletes are often under pressure and therefore need to train more and more

Negative Effects of Motivation on Sports Performance Overtraining – The athlete trains under an excessive training load, which they cannot cope with Staleness – Inability to maintain a previous performance level Burnout – When an athlete strives to meet training and competition demands despite repeated unsuccessful attempts, and so tries harder. Can lead to the athlete no longer wishing to participate in the activities they used to enjoy

Future Expectations of Success & Failure Expectations of success and failure are linked to attribution theory If you attribute stable causes (Skill Level), you are more likely to have expectation of future success If you attribute to more unstable causes (Luck) you are more likely to have expectations of future failure

Developing a Motivational Climate This is the environment an athlete finds themselves in The motivational climate will also affect their motivation both positively and negatively A motivational climate is based on the mastery of tasks, where athletes are praised for the completion of tasks When an athlete is in an environment where the focus is on punishment of mistakes this could lead to less effort and attribution of lack of ability

Developing a Motivational Climate To develop an effective motivational climate, use the TARGET technique Tasks – Range of tasks where athletes have to participate and make decision Authority – Giving athletes authority over monitoring and evaluating their own learning Reward – Using rewards that are focussed on individual improvement rather than against other competitors Grouping – Giving athletes the chance to work in groups Evaluation – Focussing on an individuals effort and improvement Timing – Timing activities effectively so that they can combine all of the above conditions