goal setting Flashcards
what are the 2 categories of goals?
objective
subjective
what do objective goals focus on?
attaining a specific standard of profficiency on a task usually in a specified time
measureable and specific
e.g lowering time by a second by next competition
what are subjective goals?
general statements of intent that are not measurable of objective
roughly what you want to achieve
e.g i want to do well
what are the 3 types of goals?
outcome
performance
process
what do outcome goals focus on?
focus on the competitive result of an event e.g winning gold medal
what do outcome goals depend on to happen?
not only your own efforts and performance but the ability of your opponent
what do performance goals focus on?
focus on achieving performance objectives independently of other competitors usually on basis of comparison with one’s own previous performances
more flexible and in your control than outcome goals
e.g successful first serves from 70-80%
what do process goals focus on?
focus on the actions an individual must engage in during performance to perform well
e.g releasing shot at peak of jump
(positively influence golfers confidence, self-efficacy and cognitive anxiety)
when is it best to focus on outcome goals?
facilitate short-term motivation away from competition e.g training in off season
focusing on outcome goals before or during a performance increases anxiety and distracting thoughts
focusing on which goals during performances has been found to help highly anxious athletes avoid negaive effects of anxiety?
holistic, process goals focusing on general feeling of skills to be performed
which goals are particularly useful for athletes at the time of competition?
performance and process goals as can make precise adjustments to these goals compared to outcome goals
and they depend much less on behaviour of opponent
(useful in practice as well)
can too much emphasis on a specific performance goal create anxiety?
yes, for example running a personal best
what did Filby, Maynard and Graydon find about using a combination of goal strategies?
produced significantly better performance than relying on one type of goal
goals should be prioritised and focused on at different times
what percentage of all studies involving goal setting shwo that it has a consistent and powerful effect n behaviour?
more than 90% of over 500
more than 40 000 ppts using more than 90 tasks in 10 countries
what did Burton and Weiss find in their meta-analysis of 88 studies?
70 (80%) of the studies demonstrated moderate to strong effects of using goal setting in sport but less so in business
what factors enhance effectiveness of goal setting in sport and exercise environment?
moderate difficulty both short and long-term feedback on progress towards attainment of goal specificity public acknowledgement of goals commitment ppts input in goal setting process combination of different goals
in a group of basketball players, were specific or general goals associated with enhanced performance and in high complexity vs low complexity tasks?
specific goals enhanced performance mostly
goal setting enhanced performance better in low-complexity rather than high-complexity tasks
in physical education and exercise situations, what did goal setting influence?
intrinsic motivation
exercise adherenece
persistence and education in P.E students
top 3 general goals for olympic, collegiate and young atheletes?
improved performance
winning
enjoyment
top 3 preferences for goal difficulty amongst athletes?
moderately difficult
difficult
very difficult
barriers to goal attainment in olympians?
either internal (lack of confidence or too many goals) or external (lack of time)
differennce between males and females in goal setting?
females set goals more often and found them to be more effective than males did
number 1 reason athletes report setting goals?
to provide direction and keep them focused on the task at hand
what is the indirect thought-process view?
outcome, performance and process goals lead to changes in psychological factors which influence performance (e.g anxiety)
hence indirectly influence performance
supporting research for the indirect thought-process view on swimmers?
those high in goal-setting ability demonstrted less anxiety, more confidence and improved performance compared to those with low goal-setting ability
what are the 2 views of why goal setting works?
indirect thought-process view
direct mechanistic view
better self-regulation when task or ego oriented condition?
task
what is the direct mechanistic view?
that goals influence performance in one of four ways:
- direct attention to important elements of the skill being performed (especially those that need improving)
- mobilise performance efforts (e.g breaking huge task down into smaller more doable chunks - same for 3.)
- prolong performer persistence
- foster development of new learning strategies (to achieve goal)
remember as PEAS (persistence, efforts, attention and strategies)
what is the primary reason for athletes setting goals?
to provide direction and focus to their actions
which types of goals do coaches tend to focus on?
performance and process goals
what are the main reasons for coaches setting goals?
provide purpose and direction, player improvement and fostering team cohesion
how many principles of goal setting are there?
11
principle of goal setting :
set specific goals
specific goals influence behavioural change more than general goals / no goals do
goals should be stated in very specific, measurable terms that relate to your behaviour
priciple of goal setting:
set moderately difficult but realistic goals
effective goals are difficult enugh to be a challenge but realistic enough to be achieved
if goals are too difficult, not reaching them can be threatening and lead to learned helplessness, frustration and poor performance
how to decide on goal difficulty?
assess the athletes commitment and capabilities
if unsure, intially set easier rather than harder goals so they don’t become frustrated
principle of goal setting:
set long- and short-term goals
long-term goals provide direction
short-term goals serve as intermediate steps that lead to long-term objectives
does only focusing on long-term goals improve performance?
no
what analogy is used to help reach long-term goals using short-term goals?
the goal-setting staircase
present lveel of ability at bottom and progressively linked short-term goals connecting to end long-term goal
principle of goal setting:
set performance, process and outcome goals
continually emphasise performance and process goals (that would lead to an outcome goal) without placing too much emphasis on the outcome goal
what happens if you only focus on outcome goals?
anxious during competition and worrying instead of focusing on task at hand
principle of goal setting:
set practice andcompetition goals
one factor differentiating successful and less successful olympians was setting practice goals e.g 3 dry runs on that day
why is setting practice goals important?
athletes spend a long time practicing compared to competing and these long hours could become boring
focus on making improvements that might not normally be worked on and maintain motivation
principle of goal setting:
record goals
when goals are set, tehy should be recorded and plced where they can easily be seen
e.g write on cards may be more efficient and effective compared to a complex behavioural contract that is never looked at
principle of goal setting:
develop goal achievement strategies
e.g chipping a bucket of golf balls onto a green twice a week is a strategy to reduce handicap
what should goal achievement strategies be?
specific and involve definite numbers
flexible e.g lift 3 times a week not 3 specific days
principle of goal setting:
consider participants personalities and motivations
(what are characteristics that effect goal-setting approaches?)
respond well to goal setting:
high on personal standards component of perfectionism, high in hope, task or performance oriented and high achievers
need to emphasise importance or setting realistic performance andprocess goals:
high on the concern for mistakes component of perfectionism, low in hope, outcome or failure oriented people and low achievers and children
which type of people focus on outcome goals compared to performance and process goals?
competitive people focus on outcome goals
task-oriented people more open to performance and process goals
principle of goal setting:
foster an indidivdual’s goal commitment
by encouraging progress and providing consistent feedback
goals shouldn’t, however, be set by coaches
principle of goal setting:
provide goal support
enlist support from significant others
not just support for the outcome goal but also for performance and process goals
spousal support essential
principle of goal setting:
provide evaluation of and feedback about goals
goal evaluation and feedback are essential parts of facilitating behaviour change
goal evaluation strategies should be inittaied at the start of the goal setting programme and continually implemented
coaches should provide specific feedback on how they’re progressing towards their goals
what does hope mean in terms of goal setting?
people have a perception that goals can be met and the skills to go about achieving those goals
what are the 4 components in the 4W system for developing dispostional hope?
wish power : identify dream goals
want power : set realistic short and long term goals that when achieved will lead to dream goal
way power : developing startaegies for achieving goals
will power : commitment to consistently work towards goals and overcome obstacles
which type of goals are used when in teams?
in practice around 90% are process oriented and focused on effort
in competition goals split between performance and outcome
what are the 4 types of goals evident in sport teams?
team members goal for himself
team members goal for the team
teams goals
groups goals for the team memember
what is the definition of a team’s goal?
the future state of affairs desired by enough members of a group to work toward its achievement
attainment of specific standards of group proficiency wihtin a specified time
in a walking study, which groups walked the furthest?
those who set the most goals
especially those who were confident in their ability
proces of setting effective group goals?
establish long term then short term goals
all members of team involved in establishing goals
onitor progress towards goals
reward progress made towards team goals
foster collective team confidence concerning team goals
what is the result of setting group goals?
increased motivation and team cohesion
characteristics of effective goals?
S - specific M - measurable A - action oriented R - realistic T - timely S - self-determined
what are the 3 stages in designing a goal-setting system?
- preparation and planning
- education and acquisition
- implementation, goal follow-up and evaluation
what is involved in preparation and planning of a goal-setting system?
assess abilties and needs
set goals in diverse areas
identify influences on goal-setting systems e.g time and commitment
plan goal achievement strategies
what is involved in education and acquisition in a goal-setting system?
schedule meetings to discuss e.g.s of effective goals and strategies for achieving them
focus on one goal at a time
what is involved in implementation, goal follow-up and evaluation in a goal-setting system?
identify appropriate goal evaluation procedures e.g skills test or stats in games
provide support and encouragment
plan for goal reevaluation e.g making it easier / harder
what are the 6 common problems in goal setting?
- convincing athletes and coaches to set goals e.g that it doesn’t take too much time and is effective
- failing to set specific goals - give feedback about goal specificity e.g include numbers
- setting too many goals too soon - set 1 or 2 short term goals initially
- failing to adjust goals - difficult to adjust goals downwards psychologically after injury
- failing to recognise individual differences - will effect commitment and success of goal setting
- not providing follow-up and evaluation
goal setting and locus of control
self-setting goals most effective for those with internal LoC
coach-set goals most effective for those with exeternal LoC
link between goal setting and motivation?
goal setting maintains motivation (required to continue through injury and long training sessions)
Hardy et al.
link between goals and dreams?
providing action to your dreams
more tangible
