Achievement Motivation

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Achievement Motivation

• What does it mean?
• An individuals interaction with the environment
  and their desire to succeed.
• Drive to succeed/persist with a task
• Atkinson suggested an individuals level of
  motivation depends on a combination of
  personality and situational factors

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Achievement Motivation - cont

• Athletes either display a need to achieve (nAch)
  or need to avoid failure (nAf) tendency when
  placed in certain situations
• A situation is evaluated in terms of an
  individuals probability of success and the
  incentive value of that success, which can be
  expressed as
• (Ms Maf) x (Ps x I Ps)
• Where Ms motive to succeed, Maf motive to
  avoid failure,
• Ps Probability of success and I Incentive
  value of success

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• Need to avoid failure
• - Avoids challenges
• - Often gives up
• - Does not want feedback
• Eg Climber takes easiest possible route to
  ensure success
• Need to Achieve
• - Likes a challenge
• - Welcomes feedback
• - He/She not afraid of failure
• - Has high task persistence
• Eg Climber who will take the most difficult
  route up a mountain to gain maximum satisfaction

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Eg

• The motivation level of a novice tennis player
  when faced with a match against a club player
• will depend on their perceived chance of success
  and whether or not they are prepared to face the
  challenge whatever the outcome
• or merely not play in case they are seen to fail
• Some theories argue that athletes perceive
  success depending on outcome/task orientated
  goals

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Arousal levels and the Drive Theory

• Arousal levels need to be under control and at
  the right level depending upon the task
• DRIVE THEORY
• The higher the arousal level, the more likely the
  dominant response occurs
• Eg Elite Tennis player playing in front of
  large crowd, will pull off his/her best possible
  shots

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Inverted U Theory/Hypothesis
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Inverted U Cont

• Optimum performance occurs at moderate arousal
  levels
• What is wrong with this theory?
• The position of Optimum arousal depends on a
  number of factors
• Type of activity
• Skill level of Performer
• Personality of Performer

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• Type of activity
• - Gross skills require high arousal
• - Fine skills require low arousal
• Skill level of performer
• - Higher the skill level the higher the level
  of arousal needed
• Personality of performer
• - The more extrovert, the higher arousal level
  is needed (RAS)

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Achievement Motivation What happens when
arousal levels become too high?

• Performance increases as arousal increases
• BUT
• When arousal gets too high, performance
  dramatically decreases
• Eg - Top golfer who misses an easy putt on 18th
  hole
• Anxiety (which develops from high arousal levels)
  causes arousal in 2 main areas
• SOMATIC anxiety Golfer sweating
• COGNITIVE anxiety Golfer worried about missing
  putt

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CATASTROPHE THEORY
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Reticular Activating System

• System within brain that controls arousal
• Extroverts have lower levels of intrinsic arousal
  than introverts
• Therefore seek situations of HIGH arousal
• Introverts seek low arousal situations
• Therefore seek situations of LOW arousal

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Exam Question June 2006Q1
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Mark Scheme June 2006
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June 2006 Mark Scheme - Cont