Self-efficacy is an important concept in sport. The term is often used interchangeably with "confidence", but there are key differences. "Confidence" is more of a loose term that indicates a belief in oneself without specificity. "Self-efficacy" is a more precise term that concerns one's belief that they can be effective at a certain task. According to Albert Bandura, these are more than minor semantic differences, as self-efficacy is a descriptive term that fits within a theoretical framework. … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2016
Motivational Climate: Weathering the Storm
I've spoken a lot about Ego vs. Task Orientations as they pertain to the individual, as well as society. This is the way in which we approach things: we do it for our mastery of the task, we do it to compare ourselves to others...or some combination of the two. Motivational Climate is something a bit different. Rather than the way we approach something, it is the way in which our environment encourages us to approach something. Important questions to ask ourselves: How did I get my … [Read more...]
The World’s Ego Orientation Obsession and Tia Toomey
When the only measure of success is winning... Considering I had mapped out my week to complete a few articles on Ego Orientation vs. Task Orientation, an article making the social media rounds was a fitting reminder of the way the world (at least, the Westernized world) views athletics. As someone who's prime concern is fostering the motivation of the people around me, I'd be remiss in failing to acknowledge the forces that work against me. Recently, the Australian outlet Canberra Times … [Read more...]
Ego Oriented Me: Finding What Matters
A Prelude to Ego Oriented vs Task Oriented Motivation NOTE: I have been asked a lot of questions about Ego Oriented vs. Task Oriented motivational climates. The next few articles will deal with this, and the following antidote will serve as a good segue into the individual topics. I have this memory of a conversation. I was a child and my father had a standardized test score sheet in his hands. It was an Iowa Test of Basic Skills, if I'm not mistaken, and he was talking to me about areas where … [Read more...]
The Element of Truth in Heroes…and You
There is an element of truth in heroes. Let me explain. There has been a resurgence of comic book hero movies over the last few years. Mythology plays a role in many of our lives; I have touched on this topic before. For those of us with a penchant for myth, stories of heroes and what they mean to us has never left that place it holds in our minds. What if there were pieces of truth in heroes? Looking back at different heroes that have made an impact on me, I found myself reading an … [Read more...]