A2 Psychology of Sport

Achievement Motivation
wk 4

Lesson Starter
Get out plain piece of paper and a pen Skills

Working as a team
Complete green group tasks

Working as an individual
Complete yellow individual tasks
 Lesson objectives
By the end of the lesson you should

• understand the definition of personality

• understand theories of personality
• understand how to apply practical examples to
these theories
 What’s what
• Anything in red is a key word that you
should have a definition for and then learn
• Anything in yellow is a task for you to do
and you must write down the answer
• Anything green is a discussion task either
with your partner or the whole class
Definition
 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
• To understand the definition of
achievement motivation
• To understand the types of motivation
• To understand how to develop motivation
• To understand the two personality types of
motivation and their characteristics
• To understand how to improve motivation
• To understand how to apply practical
examples to theory
 Buzz words
• Achievement
motivation
• Extrinsic motivation
• Tangible
• Intangible
• Intrinsic motivation
• Need to achieve
• Need to avoid failure
 MOTIVES AND MOTIVATORS
drive to
persistence
strive

continuity
intensity

MOTIVATION

performance
direction

social goal
perception orientation
 What are the major motives to
participate?
FOR YOUTHS
• fun FOR ADULTS
• being with friends • health factors
• thrills • weight loss
• excitement • fitness
• success • self-challenge
• developing fitness
• feeling better
• improving skills
• being good at it
 money badges

trophies fame
positive and
negative
reinforcement
criticism praise

EXTRINSIC

Intrinsic & MOTIVATION

extrinsic MOTIVATION
the drive to
strive
motivation
INTRINSIC
MOTIVATION

competence mastery feeling good

 satisfaction achievement feeling good

INTRINSIC
SOURCES
Extrinsic
rewards & money

intrinsic trophies badges

sources certificates
TANGIBLE

medals

EXTRINSIC
REWARDS

positive
negative
praise INTANGIBLE criticism
fame
defeat
winning
 Benefits of extrinsic rewards

• to attracts youngsters to an activity

• revives flagging motivation
• helps a sportsperson when their training is
not going so well
• provides information about levels of
achievement and competence
 Can you think of any disadvantages of using
extrinsic rewards for the coach or the athlete?

With a partner jot down some ideas (at least 3 )

 Are rewards always positive ?

NO…
• rewards can act as a distraction
• to the sports person’s intrinsic desire to work at his /
her own pace
• rewards may turn play into work
• relationships with the person giving rewards might
change
• the nature of the activity changes
• people like to determine their own behaviour
• rewards may make them feel that someone else is in
charge
 SELF- MOTIVATION not for money or
fame
intention to
not extrinsic achieve
internal drive
to succeed personal
satisfaction
intrinsic

SELF-MOTIVATION happiness

contribution to
the whole (team)

challenge
personal
fitness achieving
ambition
 DEVELOPING AND ENHANCING MOTIVATION – brainstorm
Motivation is a combination of
• personal characteristics
• situational aspects

It is highest when It is reduced by

•routine
• the performer is keen to participate
•competition between motives
• the performer is keen to learn
• the performer is keen to perform
• the performer is keen to perform
effectively
• when the motivational climate is
right
• when the training programme is
interesting and varied

b
MOTIVES CHANGE OVER TIME

TEACHERS AND COACHES ARE

IMPORTANT MOTIVATORS
Achievement motivation is
• the drive to achieve success for its own sake

• It is influenced by
• personality factors
• need to achieve
• need to avoid failure
• situational factors
• probability of success
 Achievement Motivation
Need to achieve (NACH)
Tendency to approach success (Ts)
What personality type do we link this with
• this personality type likes a challenge
• likes feedback
• is not afraid of failure
• has high task persistence
 ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION
NEED TO AVOID FAILURE (NAF)
Tendency to avoid failure (Taf)
What personality type is this
• this personality type avoids challenges
• does not take risks
• often gives up
• does not want feedback
 ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION - PERSONALITY COMPONENTS
A=
• someone with a high need to
achieve
• will probably have a low need
to avoid failure
• will choose difficult or
demanding tasks which are
more risky
• the hard route up a rock face
B=
• someone with a high need to
avoid failure
• will probably have a low need to
achieve
• will choose tasks which are less
risky and more easily achieved
• the easy route up the rock face
 ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION - SITUATIONAL FACTORS
A=
• probability of success low
• (competing against the world
champion)
• therefore strive very hard to
win
• (incentive high)
• (will be highly chuffed if win)
B=
• probability of success high
• (competing in local club
match)
• therefore don’t need to try as
hard to win
• (incentive low)
• (and expect to win easily)
• (not so pleasing)
 ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION
WHAT SHOULD THE COACH DO?
IMPROVE NEED AND MOTIVE TO ACHIEVE (Nach)
Think of SMARTER
• increase positive reinforcement hence increasing pride and satisfaction
• ensure that goals are achievable
• ensure that at least some situations guarantee success
• and subsequently gradually increase task difficulty in line with progress
• ensure that tasks are challenging

REDUCE TENDENCY AND MOTIVE TO AVOID FAILURE (NaF)

• reduce punishment hence lowering the chance of performer worrying
about failure
• focus negative feedback on effort rather than ability
• this avoids the performer tending to believe that causes of failure are
internal (due to lack of ability for example)
• and reduces the risk of learned helplessness (see next slide)
• avoid situations where defeat / failure is inevitable (such as performing
against a much superior opponent)
 Jan 05
• Using a practical e.g. explain how a coach
could encourage a performer to adopt a
need to achieve rather than a need to
avoid failure approach. [3]
 Achievement motivation
Experiment : what type of sportsperson are
you, do you play it safe in and hope to win
or do you take risks to stand the best
chances of winning

Do you have a NAF or NACH personality?

 Achievement motivation
• Turn to pg --- in your booklet
• Your personality can affect your need to
achieve (NACH)
• Or your need to avoid failure (NAF)
• Giant killing