Part 3: Achievement Goal Theory

• Achievement Goal Theory

  • Multidimensional achievement motives 
  • Achievement goal orientation (AGO)
  • Usefulness of goal orientations
• Achievement Goal Theory

  • AGO = one of the most powerful theories in S/E
  • Achievement goal orientation (AGO)
  • How much motivation do we have to play or do something or are we going to make excuses?
  • Powerful influence
  • Stress leads to anxiety, it is a product of something…
  • Attributions aren’t always true, they’re a person’s perception 
• Achievement Goal Orientations

  • Goal orientations= different personal definitions of success
• Achievement Goal Orientations - The 3 P’s

  • Task orientation (process)
  • Ego/outcome orientation (product)
  • Social orientation (praise)
• Achievement Goal Orientations - The 3 P’s

  • Task orientation (process)
  • Focus on task/skill mastery 
  • Self focus
• Achievement Goal Orientations - The 3 P’s

  • Ego/outcome orientation (product)
  • Focus on social comparison & competition; ego 
  • Other focus 
• Achievement Goal Orientations - The 3 P’s

  • Social orientation (praise)
  • Focus on demonstrating effort, gaining approval & praise form significant other 
  • Other focus
• AGO = Achievement Goal Orientations
• AGO The 3 P’s - Task Orientation (PROCESS)

  • Focus on what have control over 
  • PROCESS = focusing on your own self, focusing on the process of how you do something - that is stable 
  • Not perfect but massive advantages 
  • Mastering skills & being competent 
  • Perception of ability 
  • eg 2 swimmers winning medals when they are focused themselves - achieving their own
• AGO The 3 P’s - Ego/Outcome Orientation (PRODUCT)

  • Focus on social comparison & competition; ego 
  • Other-focus 
  • PRODUCT = easily threatened 
  • You can’t control opponents - it is out of our control therefore that could hurt our motivation & effect stress 
  • Focusing on others
• AGO The 3 P’s - Social Orientation (PRAISE)

  • PRAISE = getting approval of someone w/ respect 
  • Particularly for kids
  • Feeling like you belong & are good enough
  • We are in a social activity therefore social approval matters to most 
  • Comparing to attributional theory, you may play well but not get pat on back therefore its unstable
• Achievement Goal Orientations - The 3 P’s

  • Use different primary measures of achievement 
  • You can control your attributions 
  • How do you consistently overtime measure your success 
  • How do you know if you have succeeded or failed?
  • Useful to not focus on outcomes but rather to just play?
• Achievement Goal Orientations - The 3 P’s

  • Different situations have different mindsets
  • Can use different goal orientations at the same time - most humans are there for a mixture of reasons (motives)
• Achievement Goal Orientations - The 3 P’s

  • Rating yourself
  • Task = 1-5 (trying to master it = 5)
  • Ego = 1-5 (don’t compete = 1, do compete = 5)
  • Social approval = 1-5 (friends saying good job = 5 & then not being acknowledged at all = 1)
• Goal Orientations in Sport/Exercise

  • Each individual has multiple goal orientations (goal ‘profile’)
  • Goal orientations are dynamic (trait & anxiety)
  • Dynamic - can change someone's goal orientations overtime 
  • State & trait influences
• Goal Orientations in Sport/Exercise

  • Each combination of goal orientations represents an individual’s definition of success 
  • Success = goal orientations can help us understand what someone is trying to get out of the sport 
  • We must consider achievement goal orientations in order to understand achievement motivation 
• Positives (& negatives) of a TASK Orientation (if have 100% of this orientation)

  • Want to be primarily task focused 
• Positives of a (100%) TASK Orientation

  • Focus on individual game 
  • Is under your control 
  • This we feel are out of our control creates stress/anxiety (that decreases performance)
  • More confidence 
  • In overcoming challenging tasks 
  • One of most important skills & one of the most fragile 
  • Concentration 
  • Avoid distractions, negative comments 
• Potential negatives of a (100%) TASK Orientation

  • Only focus on self, ignore team dynamics 
  • If is a team sport
  • Selfish 
  • Self obsessed w/ individual match stats 
  • All about them (eg scoring the most goals/tries themself)
  • Perfectionism 
  • Setting too high goals, that you can never achieve so always disappointed & annoyed 
  • Get siked out, become overwhelmed by the task presented
• Negatives of a (100%) EGO/OUTCOME Orientation

  • Pressure on self 
  • Complacent/overconfident or give up & quit if not winning 
  • Frustrating 
  • Don’t focus on self improvement/game 
  • As comparing self to opponent
  • Can’t/less control → stress
  • Don’t perform as well as applying too much pressure to yourself
• Positives of a (100%) EGO/OUTCOME Orientation

  • Increase confidence if winning 
  • Help motivation to train (training motivation)
  • Know that it is necessary to be able to win 
• If 100% of this Orientation

  • Task Motivation has more positives
  • Ego/Outcome Orientation has more negatives
• Task vs Ego/Outcome Orientation 

  • Not an either or of task/ego is a mix of both 
  • Most elite athletes are high on task, mod-high on ego 
  • Ego can be controlled w/ task focus 
  • Poor performances = those w/ stress
  • High on ego, low on task
• Task vs Ego/Outcome Orientation 

  • Can be equally motivated (same in amount)
  • Quality (flavour = task), is better than the quantity (total motivation = 90 ego / 10 task)
  • Better to have more task (quality)
• Task Orientation 

  • Focus on doing your best (not a soft option, can be at an incredibly high standard)
  • Concerned about own performance, not about others 
  • Winning is good but winning well (satisfied, play best can) is better
• Fear of Losing as a Motivator 

  • Fear of losing = negative motivator 
  • Turn it around to what do you want to happen, the joy on winning instead 
  • Quality over quantity 
  • Not scared of losing, so continue to take risks (mistakes will happen) 
  • Compared to those scared of losing don’t take risks