Week 10 fear of failure

Question 1

What are some of the effects of fear of failure?

Answer 1

Increased cheating 
Avoidance goal orientation 
Eating disorders
Substance abuse 
Burnout / dropout
Headaches / depression/ stress

Question 2

Fear of failure has been conceptualised within the achievement motivation literature, how is it defined?

Answer 2

It is the motivation to avoid failure in achievement settings. One feels shame and humiliation upon failure (anticipatory self-conscious emotions)

Question 3

What di McClelland (1958) say about the motive to avoid failure?

Answer 3

It is learned. It is socialised between the ages of 5-9yrs of age and can become an enduring aspect of personality.

Question 4

What did Birney et al (1969) say could lead to fear of failure?

Answer 4

The possibility of non-attainment of a goal can lead to fear of the anticipated consequences of failure

Question 5

Birney et al (1969) identified 3 kinds of FF, what are these?

Answer 5

Devaluation of self estimate of ability (lowering perceived competence)

Non-ego punishments (may be losing out on rewards / material benefits)

Reduction in social value (perception that significant others will think less of you)

Question 6

What did Conroy (2001) state as some developmental considerations in regards to FF?

Answer 6

Family structure and climate

Parental demands for independence / mastery

Parent-child communications

Question 7

Why is family structure and climate a consideration?

Answer 7

Is it a confrontational or friendly atmosphere that exists in the home.

Typical family structure is changing - more single parents.

Absent fathers have been associated with a high FF in sons.

Typically a same sex concordance

Question 8

Why is Parental demands for mastery and independence a consideration?

Answer 8

Some parents will be more / less tolerant as to how children progress and how they react when children make mistakes

Demands to achieve mastery quicker associated with higher FF

Question 9

Why is parent-child communications a consideration?

Answer 9

Interactions / behaviours / words / tones

Temporarily less love/affection shown when parent disapproving of something a child has not done well - could lead to greater FF

Question 10

What are the dimensions of Martin & Marsh’s (2003) friend or foe model

Answer 10

High failure avoidant + High success orientated = overstriver

High failure avoidant + Low success orientated = self-protector

Low failure avoidant + High success orientated = optimist

Low failure avoidant + Low success orientated = failure accepter

Question 11

What are the characteristics of an optimist?

Answer 11

Desirable profile
Approach mindset
Look forward to doing well
Look forward to challenge

Question 12

What are the characteristics of an overstriver?

Answer 12

Work very hard
Approach/strive
* these two above are friend - gets the outcome you want

May not be emotionally pleasant
Anxiety/self doubt
May not bounce back from setback
* these three above are foe

Question 13

What are the characteristics of a self protector?

Answer 13

Want to protect self worth
Don’t want to conclude that they are low ability
May engage in self handicapping and defensive pessimism

Question 14

What are the characteristics of a failure acceptor?

Answer 14

Disinvested from the context
Not bothered by success or failure
May find these individuals in PE but less likely in youth sport

Question 15

What is self handicapping?

Answer 15

Deliberate sabotage of own performance - use it as an excuse for failure

• don’t see this as much in sport as in education

Question 16

What is defensive pessimism?

Answer 16

Overly unrealistic pessimistic views (more common than self handicapping)

A from of cognitive posturing

Question 17

Why research FF?

Answer 17

Sport represents a significant achievement domain for children and adolescents

Elite youth sport is a highly competitive context where the increasing pressure to achieve top performance can bring with it an increase in fear among young athletes.

FF can affect young people’s social development

Question 18

What did Conroy (2002) outline as some consequences of failure?

Answer 18

Experiencing shame upon failure

Devaluing one’s self estimate

Having an uncertain future

Loss of social value

Upsetting important others

Question 19

Sagar (2009) looked at the effects of FF. What did he outline as the effects on well-being?

Answer 19

Effects on the athlete’s emotional states, self perception and motivation (nervous, stressed, scared, anxious, upset, not sleeping well, loss of self confidence and motivation)

Question 20

Sagar (2009) looked at the effects of FF. What did he outline as the effects on interpersonal behaviour?

Answer 20

Irritable, less sociable, less tolerant to others, seek isolation, snappy, keep themselves to themselves, quiet.

Question 21

Sagar (2009) looked at the effects of FF. What did he outline as the effects on schoolwork?

Answer 21

Not concentrating enough at school and other things

Question 22

Sagar (2009) looked at the effects of FF. What did he outline as the effects on sporting performance?

Answer 22

Perceive that their performance was reduced and less confident in their performance.

Question 23

What did Sagar (2009) outline as the three ways to cope with FF?

Answer 23

Avoidance focused
Emotional focused
Problem focused

• research suggests that the majority of strategies that young people talk about would fall into the first category.

Question 24

What are some examples of avoidance focused coping?

Answer 24

Cognitive - mental disengagement, try not to let FF affect me

Behavioural - become quiet, not talk about FF, humour, chill out

Question 25

What are some examples of emotional focused coping?

Answer 25

Cognitive - positive self talk, positive reinterpretation, lowering goals, seek emotional social support

Question 26

What are some examples of problem focused coping?

Answer 26

Behavioural - increase effort to prevent failure, confronting your fears

Typically seen as the most adaptive / best way to cope

Question 27

According to Sagar and Lavallee (2010) what are the three mechanisms of transmission?

Answer 27

Punitive behaviour - criticism, threat, punishment, love withdrawal

Controlling behaviour - over-planning and analysis, attending daily training/comps

High expectations - win comps, perform well, invest max effort, be committed, return for investment