Comprehensive Notes on Motivation in Sport and Theories of Motivation

Motivation in Sport - Mindset and Importance of Motivation in Sports

• Motivation is a crucial driver in sports and physical activity, influencing an athlete's performance, persistence, and enjoyment.

• Understanding an athlete’s mindset around motivation can help improve training effectiveness and overall well-being.

Acknowledgement of Indigenous Peoples

• Recognition of Indigenous nations and traditional territories of York University.

• The area known as Tkaronto is cared for by the Anishinabek Nation, Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat.

• Acknowledgment of current treaty holders, Mississaugas of Credit First Nation.

• Importance of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant for sharing and caring for the Great Lakes region.

Course Structure

• Course conducted by Dr. Rebecca Bassett Gunter and Jessica Fraser-Thomas.

• Important dates: Engagement Assignment #2 due Fri, Mar 14.

• Focus on various topics over weeks 7-12 including:

  1. Motivation and theories/models in sport psychology

  2. Anxiety and arousal

  3. Sport psychology skills (e.g. relaxation, imagery, self-talk)

  4. Mental health and transitions in sport.

Key Questions for Self-Reflection

• Reflective questions on personal experience in sports.

• Explore reasons for continuing or stopping athletic participation.

• Envision future career paths related to health, sport, and coaching, considering how motivational factors might influence these paths.

Importance of Studying Motivation

• Critical for health professionals to motivate individuals towards physical activity, thus enhancing community wellness.

• Most Canadians do not meet physical activity recommendations, emphasizing the need for motivation strategies tailored to diverse populations.

• Exercise cannot happen without motivation, highlighting the significance of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivational factors.

Understanding Motivation

• Exploration of what constitutes motivation (feeling, behaviour, trait, mindset), including various psychological components and environmental influences.

Theories and Models of Motivation

• Overview of key models:

  • COM-B Model: emphasizes the capability, opportunity, and motivation that affect behaviour.

  • Transtheoretical Model: stages of change model that outlines a process for adopting health behaviours.

  • Theory of Planned Behaviour: predictors of behavioural intention and action.

  • Social Cognitive Theory: role of observational learning and social influences on motivation.

  • Self-Determination Theory: differentiates between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

  • Achievement Goal Theory: focuses on the types of goals that motivate athletes.

  • Flow State Concept: describes the optimal state for performance, characterized by intense focus and enjoyment.

Flow Experience

• Defined as a state of complete involvement or concentration in an activity to the point of losing track of time, usually resulting in high-quality performance.

• Criteria for flow according to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi:

  • Merging of action and awareness.

  • Sense of control within the task.

  • Altered sense of time, often feeling like it either speeds up or slows down.

Conditions to Facilitate Flow

• Clear goals that direct motivation and focus attention on task performance.

• Balance between perceived challenges and personal skills, leading to an optimal difficulty level.

• Immediate feedback on performance, allowing for real-time adjustments and reinforcement of successful strategies.

Engagement Assignment #2

• Engage in an activity aimed at reaching a flow state, such as playing a sport, engaging in physical exercise, or practicing a skill.

• Reflect on the experience to evaluate if flow was achieved and why it was experienced, considering personal emotional and cognitive responses during the activity.