4. Goal Orientation Flashcards
Goal Orientation: Prominent Researcher
Dr Joan Duda
Goal Orientation: Foundations
Goal orientation refers to an athlete’s approach to goals and success; it often shapes their motivation, behavior, and response to challenges
Motivation = choice, effort, and persistence
- meaning basis of goal orientation relies on effort
Goal Orientation: Basis for Achievement Goals
(low prio)
- Effort*
— in comparison to others
— vary in relation to performance (i.e results, capability) - measure of success: involvement, contextual, predispositional levels
- develop or demonstrate high levels of competence (making progress and they can feel the improvement)
— dependent on the individual
— own performance
— own knowledge
— what is the common theme… SELF; self matters more, stronger variable than social support
Goal Orientation: Task Orientation
Task-oriented athletes focus on self-improvement, personal growth, and mastery of skills
○ Motivation comes from improving their abilities or skills
○ More likely to set goals related to skill development, effort, or consistency.
○ Tend to persist through challenges as setbacks are viewed as opportunities for learning and growth.
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[Lecture notes:]
- aimed at achieving mastery
— improving or perfecting a skill
— more so than demonstrating ability over others - basis of comparison
— own past performance
— past effort - attributions: effort
— effort leads to greater learning
— internal/external, stable/unstable, or controllable/uncontrollable?
Goal Orientation;
TASK Orientation:
How It’s Evident
● Practice habits: A task-oriented basketball player may dedicate extra time to perfecting their free-throw form, focusing on improving their own skill rather than how they rank compared to others.
● Response to loss: After a loss, a task-oriented player reflects on what they could do to improve, viewing the game as a learning experience rather than a judgment of their worth
● Focus on personal bests: Track their shooting percentages or the number of successful passes they make, focusing on progress rather than winning alone.
Goal Orientation: Ego Orientation
● Ego-oriented athletes measure success by outperforming others. Their confidence and satisfaction come from winning, acting superior, or being the best compared to their peers
○ Motivation is rooted in proving their ability or status relative to others
○ They may focus on the outcome (like winning) rather than the process of improvement
○ More susceptible to setbacks, as failure can be viewed as a blow to their self-worth
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[Lecture notes:]
- focus on perception of own ability in relation to others
(this makes it accessible; perception of how you’ll be able to perform is much higher) - basis of comparison
— social
— outperforming others
— while giving similar level of effort or less effort
— why not perception of more effort? - attributions: ability
— internal/external, stable/unstable, or controllable/uncontrollable?
Goal Orientation;
EGO Orientation:
How It’s Evident
● Competitive approach: an ego-oriented basketball player may prioritize scoring points over teamwork, focusing on being the highest scorer to demonstrate superiority
● Response to loss: After a loss, an ego-oriented player may feel discouraged or angry, seeing it as a sign of personal failure rather than a learning opportunity.
● Comparison to Others: They may frequently compare their states to teammates or opponents, finding motivation in being “better” rather than in personal progress.
Ego & Task Goals with Athletes Perceived Ability
Ego and task orientation interact with an athlete’s perceived ability level (high or low) to shape their approach to competition, challenges, and improvement.
● Ego-oriented, high-ability athletes may perform well but might avoid certain challenges or fail to push themselves, seeking scenarios they can easily succeed in
● Ego-oriented, low-ability athletes risk demotivation or burnout if they cannot outperform peers, their self-worth is tied to external comparisons
● Task-oriented, high-ability athletes tend to be both resilient and high-performing; they are driven by self-improvement, making them more adaptable to setbacks
● Task-oriented, low-ability athletes can show strong persistence and get motivation from progress (stats, PR’s) rather than just competition alone
Goal Types
- Performance (task-oriented)
- Process (task oriented)
- Outcome Goals (ego-oriented)
- Approach Goals
- Avoidance Goals
Goal Type: Performance Goals
(task oriented)
- attaining personal performance standards
- independent of other competitors
Goal Type: Performance Goals
Example
A basketball player sets a performance goal to increase their free-throw shooting percentage from 70% to 80%
Goal Type: Process Goal
(task oriented)
- actions needed to execute or perform well
- executing proper form, mental/physical preparation, attending certain #s of practices, etc
Goal Type: Process Goal
Example
A basketball player might set a process goal to keep their elbows alignment when shooting or to stay low on defense
Goal Type: Outcome Goals
(ego oriented)
- competitive result
- relative to others (i.e. beat x person)
- winning/losing
- rewards of winning/losing
Goal Type: Outcome Goals
Example
A basketball player sets an outcome goal to win the championship or finish the season as the top scorer in the league
