Achievement and Attribution Theories in Sports Psychology
Chapter 41 focuses on two key theories: need for achievement theory and attribution theory.
Need for Achievement Theory
The need for achievement theory suggests that individuals are motivated by the need to accomplish tasks that are challenging yet attainable. These tasks must also be meaningful to the athlete. Individuals with a high need for achievement are more likely to approach achievement situations, persist with difficult tasks for longer periods, and prefer more challenging tasks.
Attribution Theory
Attribution theory concerns the reasons athletes attribute to their success or failure. These reasons are categorized into four areas: ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck. This theory was later expanded to include three dimensions: stability (affecting expectations), locus of control (affecting self-esteem), and controllability (affecting emotions).
Practical Applications for Coaches
Coaches can utilize these theories in several ways. For example, coaches can guide athletes, especially those with less experience, to attribute their outcomes to unstable causes such as incorrect strategy, inadequate training, or bad luck. This helps athletes avoid negative self-perceptions. Conversely, coaches can foster high self-esteem by attributing successes to stable causes, such as talent.
Success as a Social Construct
Success is a social construct, defined by who benefits from it. For ego-oriented athletes, success primarily benefits the individual achiever, often leading to a perception of superiority. Task-oriented athletes, however, define success as benefiting both themselves and others, often thriving in team settings.
Task-involvement is beneficial for athletes of both high and low perceived competence, encouraging them to exert maximum effort in challenging tasks and maximize their performance. Ego-involvement, however, is primarily beneficial for high perceived ability individuals. An ego-oriented athlete is most satisfied when they achieve a high level of success for themselves alone, while a task-oriented athlete values success that benefits a wider range of people.
Developmental Considerations
Children under 12 are typically mastery-oriented and struggle to differentiate luck, effort, and task difficulty from ability, often equating ability with effort. This changes as they mature, shifting towards either a task- or ego-oriented approach.
Socialization plays a significant role in shaping a child’s orientation. If parents emphasize success and failure in evaluating performance, children may strive for superiority over others. This mentality can be modified by teachers, coaches, or peers. Conversely, a child may become task-oriented if they believe that mastery and improvement are achievable through their own actions, often encouraged by family, friends, or others.
Consequences of Not Achieving Goals
Negative consequences often arise when performance goals are not met. When athletes fail to demonstrate competence, they may exhibit a helpless pattern characterized by:
- Attributing failure to a lack of ability
- Experiencing negative emotions
- Having low expectations for future success
- Avoiding subsequent challenges
- Decreased persistence and performance