MOTIVATIONAL BELIEFS, MOTIVATIONAL BELIEFS, GOALS AND STYLESGOALS AND STYLES

Damon BurtonDamon Burton

University of IdahoUniversity of Idaho

GOAL MODEL OF GOAL MODEL OF MOTIVATIONMOTIVATION

(A(Antecedents) (Consequences)ntecedents) (Consequences)

Beliefs about MotivationalBeliefs about Motivational

Talent Goals StylesTalent Goals Styles

1.1. Capacity Outcome Success- &Capacity Outcome Success- &

Failure-OrientedFailure-Oriented

2.2. Learning Process MasteryLearning Process Mastery

or Performance Orientedor Performance Oriented

BELIEFS ABOUT TALENT BELIEFS ABOUT TALENT & INTELLIGENCE& INTELLIGENCE

Capacity beliefs Capacity beliefs – intelligence and sport – intelligence and sport ability are fixed and unchangeable.ability are fixed and unchangeable. The worst thing is to look dumb or The worst thing is to look dumb or

incompetentincompetent Talent is measured now and far into Talent is measured now and far into

the future. the future.

Learning beliefs Learning beliefs – intelligence and talent – intelligence and talent are changeable and controllable. are changeable and controllable. The worst thing is to not learn.The worst thing is to not learn. Talent is measured for the present but Talent is measured for the present but

not for the future. not for the future.

ROLE OF EFFORT ROLE OF EFFORT IN TALENT BELIEFSIN TALENT BELIEFS

Capacity beliefsCapacity beliefs – – high ability means you high ability means you shouldn’t have to work hard. shouldn’t have to work hard. They feel smart when others struggle.They feel smart when others struggle. They perceive a negative relationship between They perceive a negative relationship between

effort and performance. effort and performance.

Learning beliefsLearning beliefs – – hard work always is hard work always is necessary to reach your potential.necessary to reach your potential. They feel smart when they help others or bring They feel smart when they help others or bring

out the best in others.out the best in others. They perceive a positive relationship between They perceive a positive relationship between

effort and performance. effort and performance. Effort will get your somewhere better as long Effort will get your somewhere better as long

as you work hard.as you work hard.

BELIEFS-GOAL BELIEFS-GOAL RELATIONSHIPSRELATIONSHIPS

Outcome Goals Outcome Goals Outcome Goals Outcome Goals

Performance Goals Performance Goals

Low Challenge High Challenge High Low Challenge High Challenge High ChallengeChallenge

Capacity 50% 32% 18%Capacity 50% 32% 18%

Learning 10% 29% 61%Learning 10% 29% 61%

BELIEFS PREDICT BELIEFS PREDICT JUNIOR HIGH JUNIOR HIGH TRANSITIONTRANSITION

77thth grade important transition grade important transition that is stressful to adolescents that is stressful to adolescents becausebecause• work gets suddenly harder,work gets suddenly harder,

• workload becomes greater,workload becomes greater,

• grading is more stringent,grading is more stringent,

• grades become more important andgrades become more important and

• instruction is less personalized.instruction is less personalized.

IMPACT OF BELIEFS ON IMPACT OF BELIEFS ON FAILURE RESPONSESFAILURE RESPONSES

Learning Capacity Learning Capacity DepressedDepressed

Group Group GroupGroup Group Group

Global Self-Putdown 2 7 6Global Self-Putdown 2 7 6

Intellectual Blame 3 8 7Intellectual Blame 3 8 7

Negative Affect 4 8 8.5Negative Affect 4 8 8.5

HOW ARE BELIEFS HOW ARE BELIEFS DEVELOPED?DEVELOPED?

Feedback patterns have a major Feedback patterns have a major impact on beliefs.impact on beliefs.

If feedback focuses on If feedback focuses on traitstraits (e.g., (e.g., you’re very talented) to explain you’re very talented) to explain success or lack of talent to explain success or lack of talent to explain failure, failure, capacity beliefs capacity beliefs develop.develop.

If feedback focuses on If feedback focuses on efforteffort and and strategystrategy as the keys to success and as the keys to success and failure, failure, learning beliefs learning beliefs developdevelop

WHAT ARE WHAT ARE MOTIVATIONAL STYLES?MOTIVATIONAL STYLES?Motivational StylesMotivational Styles – are specific – are specific motivational patterns adopted by motivational patterns adopted by performers based on their beliefs about performers based on their beliefs about talent, how they define success/failure talent, how they define success/failure (i.e., place highest priority on outcome (i.e., place highest priority on outcome versus process/performance goals) and versus process/performance goals) and perceived competence. perceived competence.

These motivational patterns have a These motivational patterns have a profound impact of Flow, long-term profound impact of Flow, long-term development and performance. development and performance.

MOTIVATIONAL STYLESMOTIVATIONAL STYLES

mastery-orientedmastery-oriented

success-seekers or success-seekers or

success-orientedsuccess-oriented

failure-avoiders orfailure-avoiders or

failure-orientedfailure-oriented

MASTERY-ORIENTED MASTERY-ORIENTED (MO)(MO)

Process and performance goals Process and performance goals are given highest priority in are given highest priority in defining success.defining success.

They feel successful when they They feel successful when they learn, improve and master tasks. learn, improve and master tasks.

Perceived competence doesn’t Perceived competence doesn’t influence MO performers as long influence MO performers as long as they believe they can learn and as they believe they can learn and get better. get better.

FAILURE AVOIDERS FAILURE AVOIDERS (FA)(FA)

Outcome goals are given highest Outcome goals are given highest priority in defining success.priority in defining success.

They feel successful when they win They feel successful when they win and socially compare well. and socially compare well.

FAs normally have low perceived FAs normally have low perceived competence because they lose often.competence because they lose often.

Motivation eventually switches from Motivation eventually switches from striving for success to trying to avoid striving for success to trying to avoid failure. failure.

SUCCESS-SEEKERS SUCCESS-SEEKERS (SS)(SS)

Outcome goals are given Outcome goals are given highest priority in defining highest priority in defining success.success.

They feel successful when they They feel successful when they win and socially compare well. win and socially compare well.

FAs normally have high FAs normally have high perceived competence because perceived competence because they win or place high often.they win or place high often.

MASTERY-ORIENTED MASTERY-ORIENTED

Outlook about CompetitionOutlook about Competition – positive and – positive and optimisticoptimistic

Attributions for SuccessAttributions for Success – effort – effort

Attributions for FailureAttributions for Failure – effort – effort

Effort ExpenditureEffort Expenditure – consistently maximal – consistently maximal effort,effort,

Task ChoiceTask Choice – very difficult tasks or – very difficult tasks or opponents, andopponents, and

Response to FailureResponse to Failure – great persistence – great persistence that prompts increases effort and that prompts increases effort and improves problem solving improves problem solving

FAILURE-AVOIDERS FAILURE-AVOIDERS

Outlook about CompetitionOutlook about Competition – negative and – negative and pessimistic,pessimistic,

Attributions for SuccessAttributions for Success – luck or an easy – luck or an easy task, task,

Attributions for FailureAttributions for Failure – lack of ability, – lack of ability,

Effort ExpenditureEffort Expenditure – low on moderate – low on moderate difficulty task and high on easy tasks, difficulty task and high on easy tasks,

Task ChoiceTask Choice – very easy or very difficult – very easy or very difficult tasks or opponents, andtasks or opponents, and

Response to FailureResponse to Failure – give up quickly and – give up quickly and quit trying; will drop out if they can. quit trying; will drop out if they can.

SUCCESS-SEEKERSSUCCESS-SEEKERS

Outlook about CompetitionOutlook about Competition – positive – positive and optimistic,and optimistic,

Attributions for SuccessAttributions for Success – high ability, – high ability,

Attributions for FailureAttributions for Failure – effort, – effort,

Effort ExpenditureEffort Expenditure – just high enough – just high enough effort to win, effort to win,

Task ChoiceTask Choice – moderately difficult tasks, – moderately difficult tasks, andand

Response to FailureResponse to Failure – moderate – moderate persistence as long as they think they persistence as long as they think they can win, prompting increased effort and can win, prompting increased effort and improved problem solving improved problem solving

WHAT IS AN WHAT IS AN ATTRIBUTION?ATTRIBUTION?

Attributions Attributions – – are reasons given to are reasons given to explain successes and failures.explain successes and failures.

Weiner (1985)Weiner (1985) suggests that we suggests that we each act as naïve psychologists each act as naïve psychologists trying to understand the reasons for trying to understand the reasons for why a particular outcome occurs. why a particular outcome occurs.

For exampleFor example, a girl may try to figure , a girl may try to figure out why she lost a tennis match or out why she lost a tennis match or did poorly on an exam. did poorly on an exam.

WHY ARE ATTRIBUTIONS WHY ARE ATTRIBUTIONS IMPORTANT?IMPORTANT?

Motivational is cyclical in nature. How Motivational is cyclical in nature. How you do in one competition influences you do in one competition influences your motivation for future your motivation for future competitions. competitions.

KEY POINTKEY POINT Two factors are important Two factors are important for determining future motivation.for determining future motivation. consistent success at challenging tasks,consistent success at challenging tasks, taking credit for your success due to taking credit for your success due to

factors you control such as effort and factors you control such as effort and skill, skill,

WEINER’S (1972) WEINER’S (1972) ATTRIBUTION MODELATTRIBUTION MODEL

Ability

Task Difficulty

Coaching

Luck

Officiating

EffortStrategy

Preparation

Performance

Internal External

Stable

Unstable

TheThe

EndEnd