Motivation

• Vealey suggests there are 2 types of confidence:

  • Trait sport confidence which is a stable belief in level of sporting ability based on previous experience.
  • State sport confidence level of confidence that changes quickly and relates to confidence in a specific context at that time.
• Bandura believed that learning from consequences would lead to outcome expectancy i.e. athletes know that training hard will lead to success as they have experienced this before.
• High self efficacy = know what needs to be done for success and confident we can do it.

  Low self efficacy = don't know what to do for success or lack the belief they can achieve that.
• • Cognitive General imagery (CG) = imagining strategies.
  • Cognitive Specific imagery (CS) = imagining specific skills.
  • Motivational General Arousal imagery (MGA) = mood regulation to stay calm under pressure by imagining themselves calming down.
  • Motivational General Mastery imagery (MGM) = imagining themselves becoming masters of the sport.
  • Motivational Specific imagery (MS) = imagining individual goals such as getting a medal.
• Hall et al investigated the relationship between imagery use with anxiety and self-confidence in roller skaters between age of 12 and 18 years old (from USA, Canada, New Zealand, China, Mexico). They found that athletes who used MGM imagery were more confident.
• Gill investigated competitiveness through creating the Sports Orientation Questionnaire (SOQ) which is a 25 item questionnaire where the answers are on a 5 point scale to measure individual differences in sports achievement motivation. There are 3 main motivating factors:

  • competitiveness,
  • win orientation,
  • goal orientation.
• Munroe-Chandler wanted to investigate the relationship between imagery use and self confidence + efficacy to see if MGM imagery predicts high SC + SE and if this relationship is stronger in competitive athletes. She looked at 125 ppts (69f 56m) aged 11-14 from South West Ontario wich mean experience of 6.11 years of soccer both recreationally and competitively.
• In Munroe-Chandler each ppt took 3 questionnaires 15 mins before practice with coach and parent consent.

  1. Sport imagery questionnaire for children - sees if child uses imagery through 21 statements ppts rated from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very often) e.g. "I see myself being mentally strong"
  2. Competitive trait anxiety inventory - 15 item questionnaire on cognitive and somatic anxiety from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much so).
  3. Self efficacy questionnaire for soccer - 5 item questionnaire on 100 point scale e.g. "I am confident I can work through difficult situations"
• Munroe-Chandler found that imagery correlated positively strongly with self efficacy and confidence. MGM imagery provides the strongest correlation which is effective regardless of whether the athlete is recreational or competitive.
• Imagery

  • Encourage athletes to use imagery in order to enhance self efficacy and self confidence to improve motivation by imagining themselves winning or perfecting certain skills.
  • MGM imagery = imagine themselves becoming masters in their previous sport and developing mental toughness. CS imagery = imagining how to do a specific skill.
  • Munroe-Chandler found evidence for the effectiveness of MGM imagery and found MGM has the strongest positive correlation with SC and SE - works for recreational and competitive athletes.
• Develop Self Efficacy

  • Develop self efficacy (knowing what to do and confidence can do it) in athletes.
  • Use verbal praise, physical arousal, vicarious learning, or verbal persuasion to motivate athletes.
  • Bandura found that building self efficacy will motivate them ultimately improving their overall confidence.