C.3.3.1 Motivational climate impacts performance through mastery and ego approaches Notes

Motivational Climate in Sport: Mastery vs. Ego

What is Motivational Climate?

1. Motivation influences an individual's decision to engage in physical activities or maintain an active lifestyle.
2. Motivational climate refers to the environmental factors shaping an individual’s perception of competence and goal-setting.
3. Success can be perceived in two ways:
   1. Self-improvement and mastery, focusing on effort and personal growth.
   2. Comparison with others – measuring success based on outperforming peers.

Mastery Climate: Focus on Growth and Improvement

A mastery climate emphasizes:

1. Personal improvement: Success is measured by progress and effort.
2. Effort and learning: Mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn.
3. Cooperation: Teamwork and mutual support are prioritized.

Ego Climate: Focus on Winning and Comparison

An ego climate emphasizes:

1. Comparison with others: Success is defined by outperforming teammates or opponents.
2. Winning at all costs: The outcome is more important than the process.
3. Public recognition: Praise is given to top performers, often in front of others.

The TARGET Approach: Creating a Mastery Climate

1. The TARGET framework helps coaches design environments that foster a mastery climate.
   1. It stands for:
      1. Task
      2. Authority
      3. Recognition
      4. Grouping
      5. Evaluation
      6. Time

Mastery Climate (Task-Oriented Environment)

1. A mastery climate is designed to encourage personal growth, effort, and skill development rather than comparison with others. It aligns with task-oriented success perceptions.

How the TARGET Approach Creates a Mastery Climate

1. T (Task): Provide challenging yet achievable skill-based tasks that promote learning and personal improvementrather than just performance outcomes.
   1. Example: A coach encourages players to develop new techniques rather than focusing solely on game statistics.
2. A (Authority): Give athletes some control over their learning process, promoting autonomy and decision-making.
   1. Example: Allowing athletes to choose drills that target their weaknesses.
3. R (Recognition): Reward effort, improvement, and persistence rather than just winning or outperforming teammates.
   1. Example: Praising a player for mastering a new skill rather than just scoring goals.
4. G (Grouping): Use collaborative and inclusive training where athletes of varying skill levels work together to learn.
   1. Example: Pairing experienced athletes with developing players for skill-sharing.
5. E (Evaluation): Assess progress based on self-improvement and individual benchmarks rather than ranking athletes against one another.
   1. Example: A coach provides individual feedback on technique rather than comparing players’ performances.
6. T (Time): Allow sufficient time for practice and learning, avoiding unrealistic pressure to master skills quickly.
   1. Example: Ensuring long-term development plans instead of short-term result-driven pressure.

Impact of a Mastery Climate

1. Higher intrinsic motivation (enjoyment and satisfaction in learning).
2. Greater resilience in the face of challenges.
3. Improved long-term skill development and performance consistency.
4. Lower anxiety and fear of failure compared to ego-driven environments.

Ego Climate (Ego-Oriented Environment)

1. An ego climate is created when the focus is on winning, comparison, and outperforming others rather than personal growth. It aligns with ego-oriented success perceptions.

How the TARGET Approach Can Lead to an Ego Climate

1. T (Task): Emphasis on outcome-based tasks where only top performers are valued.
   1. Example: Prioritizing only match-winning skills instead of overall development.
2. A (Authority): Coaches have full control, offering little autonomy to athletes.
   1. Example: Rigid coaching styles that discourage independent decision-making.
3. R (Recognition): Rewarding only top performers, reinforcing a results-driven mindset.
   1. Example: Praising only athletes who score rather than those who contribute in other ways.
4. G (Grouping): Separating athletes by ability, creating hierarchies that discourage collaboration.
   1. Example: Favoring elite players in training over developing athletes.
5. E (Evaluation): Judging athletes based on competition results and rankings.
   1. Example: Players feel valued only when they outperform others.
6. T (Time): Pressuring athletes to perform well immediately without considering learning progress.
   1. Example: Expecting instant success in a new technique without sufficient practice time.

Impact of an Ego Climate

1. Increased fear of failure and anxiety.
2. Lower intrinsic motivation (athletes play for rewards rather than enjoyment).
3. Potential dropout due to frustration or lack of success.
4. Decreased willingness to take risks or try new skills.

Optimizing the TARGET Approach

1. To maximize motivation and skill development, coaches should implement a mastery climate rather than an ego climate.
2. While some elements of competition are beneficial, overemphasizing outcome-based goals can lead to reduced motivation, stress, and avoidance behaviors.
3. By structuring training around task mastery, effort recognition, and autonomy, athletes develop greater resilience, intrinsic motivation, and long-term success in their sport.
   

Why Mastery Climates Matter

1. Positive Outcomes:
   1. Higher intrinsic motivation.
   2. Greater enjoyment and satisfaction.
   3. Increased persistence and resilience.
2. Broader Impacts:
   1. Athletes develop skills that extend beyond sports, such as teamwork and problem-solving.

The TEOSQ

1. TEOSQ (Duda & Nicholls, 1989): Developed to study differences in dispositional goal orientations in sport and exercise settings.
2. Task Orientation:
   1. Positively linked to effort, enjoyment, persistence, satisfaction, and interest.
   2. Associated with intrinsic motivation.
3. Ego Orientation:
   1. Negatively associated with enjoyment and interest.
   2. Positively related to boredom.
4. Roberts (2001): Found that task-oriented individuals tend to be more intrinsically motivated than ego-oriented individuals.