Achievement Motivation

A2 Physical Education

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7739485.stm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmkf79W1z_4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvjv2kthIug

Participation motivesList the reasons why you enjoy participating in sport and physical activity.

Put them in rank order of personal importance.

Major motivesYouth sport participation

Improving skillsHaving funBeing with friendsExperiencing thrillsAchieving successFitness

Adult exercise participation

Health factorsWeight lossFitnessSelf challenge and

excitementFeeling betterSocialising

Weinburg & Gould, 1999

Motivation “The internal mechanisms and external

stimuli which arouse and direct our behaviour.” (Sage, 1974)

1) Our inner drives towards achieving a goal2) External pressures and rewards that we

perceive in our environment3) The intensity (arousal) and the direction of

our behaviour.

Motivation has 5 components:

DirectionIntensityPersistenceContinuityPerformance

MotivationMotivation is not a ‘unitary concept’.

There are different types of motivation:Positive & Negative

Primary & SecondaryExtrinsic & Intrinsic

Intrinsic MotivationLinked to cognitive theoristsUsed to explain how/why performers strive inwardly, being self-determined in trying to develop competence or excellence of performance.

Take part in the activity for its own sake, for the pure love of sport.

Intrinsic Motivation

Said to be involved in the ‘flow experience’:Said to be involved in the ‘flow experience’:Complete absorption in the activitySubconscious feeling of self controlNo extrinsic motivation (goals, rewards etc..)

‘Self actualisationSelf actualisationPositive mental attitudeRelaxed, controlling anxiety, & enjoying optimum

arousalPhysical readinessFocussing on appropriate specific aspects of

performance

When intrinsic motivation is at its When intrinsic motivation is at its greatest, performers feel competent and greatest, performers feel competent and

self determining in dealing with their self determining in dealing with their environment.environment.

Extrinsic MotivationStems from other people, through positive Stems from other people, through positive

and negative reinforcement, and from and negative reinforcement, and from tangible and intangible rewards.tangible and intangible rewards.

Tangible

TrophiesMedalsBadges

CertificatesMoney

Intangible

Social reinforcersPraiseFame

Winning/GlorySocial Status

Approval

Satisfaction

Achievement

Feeling good

Competence

Mastery

Extrinsic rewards Intrinsic sources

Motivation

Extrinsic rewardsExtrinsic rewards can have a positive or

negative effect on motivation depending on how the performer perceives them in relation to:PacePlayControlCompetence

“Why did I say I’d take it ? ”

(G. Southgate,1996)

Achievement Motivation

Murray (1938) indicated that it was ‘natural for one individual to strive to surpass another’ Trait view that competitive motivation is a

product of nature Bandura believed that competitive orientation

was a product of learning Interactionist view of Atkinson & McClelland

(1976) that competitive motivation was generated by a combination of personality and situational factors

‘An individual’s motivation to strive for success’

Atkinson & McClellandProposed a theory of achievement motivation

which took into account of both individual personality and the situation and specified how the two were related.

It is an interaction model – and according to this model behaviour is determined by the person’s interaction with their environment.

Nach & NafAtkinson suggests that there are two

personality factors that contribute to achievement motivation.

The need to achieve (Nach)The need to avoid failure (Naf)

We all have both characteristics, but those with a high need to achieve tend to have a low need to avoid failure & vice versa.

Personality factors that determine competitiveness(Atkinson & McClelland 1976)

High Nach

Low Naf High Naf

Low Nach

TAS: people with

the tendency to

approach success

TAF: people with the

tendency to avoid

failure

Need to achieve (Nach)People with a high motive to achieve success

display the following characteristics (approach behaviours).

Look for challengesAre concerned about standards of excellence &

show high levels of performance.Persist for longerValue/welcome feedback from othersEnjoy performing in situations in which they

can be evaluatedAre not afraid of failureAttribute their performance to internal factors.

Need to avoid failure (Naf)People showing a strong motive to avoid failure

tend to:

Be preoccupied about failureAvoid challenging tasks: prefer to play against

very easy or very difficult oppositionDislike situations in which there is a 50-50

chance for success and in which others can evaluate them.

Perform worse when they can be evaluatedAttribute their performance to external factors

Situational factorsThe probability of success

Incentive value of success

The extent to which success is likely; for example; success is more likely if the task is found by the performer to be easy

The intrinsic value experienced by the individualafter success has been achieved; for example,

the harder the task the greater will be the incentivevalue because the probability of success is reduced

Probability of success

Ince

nti

ve v

alu

e

of

succ

ess

High

HighLow