Goal Setting

Question 1

Goal Setting

Answer 1

Goal setting is a method whereby athletes set themselves a target which they hope to achieve + they then track their progress towards it

Question 2

what does goal setting help with?

Answer 2

• for attentional focus
• persistence on tasks
• raising confidence and self-efficacy
• control of arousal and anxiety
• to monitor performance

Question 3

Three types of goals

Answer 3

• outcome goals
• performance goals
• process goals

Question 4

Outcome goals

Answer 4

Goals concerned with the result of an event e.g. winning the league or match in football

Question 5

Performance goals

Answer 5

Goals concerned with how good an athlete’s overall performance is e.g. improve p.b.

Question 6

Process goals

Answer 6

Goals concerned with how well an athlete executes skills in order to improve their performance e.g. technique

Question 7

Attentional focus

Answer 7

Benefit of goal setting allows a performer to focus on the important factors + ignore those which are less important

• improves their focus + have a positive effect on performance

Question 8

Task persistence

Answer 8

Benefit of goal setting - very effective goals can increase motivation and, therefore, task persistence

This will allow the athlete to continue to work hard following setbacks such as a period of poor performance or injury

Short-term goals are important as they allow the athlete to experience success during their progress towards a long-term goal

Question 9

Confidence + self-efficacy

Answer 9

Benefit of goal setting - goal setting increases confidence and confidence/ belief in yourself when goals are achieved

Helps an individual realise how well they are progressing and what they’re good at

Can also make them more confident about being able to achieve similar improvements in the future

Question 10

Arousal + anxiety

Answer 10

Goal setting can increase the control that a performer had over their performance

Can reduce levels of arousal and anxiety associated with a fear of not being able to perform to the required standard

Allows the performer to perform to the best of their ability

Question 11

Monitoring performance

Answer 11

Goals are a good tool for checking how well an athlete is progressing

Athletes should keep records of their progress + tick off goals when they accomplish them

Allows athletes to identify when they are doing well + when they’re struggling

Question 12

SMART principles

Answer 12

• Specific - the goal should outline specifically what needs to be done
• Measurable - the performer should be able to rate how well they’re doing in relation to the goal
• Achievable - the goal, should be challenging but within the performer’s capabilities of achieving it
• Recorded - the performer should keep track of their progress towards their goal
• Time-phases - there should be a time by which the goal should be completed

Question 13

E.g. cricketer who struggled to find form batting

Answer 13

S - improve batting average by 5 more runs
M - than they averaged last year
A - than they averaged last year
R - track their progress by recording the number of runs they score each match on a graph
T - I er the next year

Question 14

Long term + short term goals

Answer 14

• achieving long term goals is a progressive process and must start with achieving short term goals
• many athletes use realistic target dates to help them achieve their short-term goals
• short-term goals provide a greater opportunity for success, which can reinforce positive feelings and in turn help to control anxiety levels