Motivation is the driving force behind the athlete. The why? in relation to their actions. A motivated athlete gets out of bed each morning and puts in the effort during training session and during competition. A motivated athlete is more likely to succeed in their chosen sport than an unmotivated athlete. There are four different forms of motivation: positive, negative, intrinsic and extrinsic. When categorising motivations two of these apply choosing either positive or negative and either intrinsic or extrinsic.
Different sports provide different forms to motivate the athlete. For example, in boxing an athlete will frequently be motivated to dodge a punch because of the negative extrinsic motivator of pain that comes when being hit. In contrast golf provides more extrinsic positive motivators in the financial gain that comes with winning a competition.
Over the course of a career, an athlete who is motivated by intrinsic positive motivators is more likely to last a long time in the sport, than someone who is motivated by extrinsic negative motivators.
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
- Evaluate performance scenarios to determine the appropriate forms of motivation, eg golf versus boxing
Past HSC PDHPE exam questions (2012-2022)
Since 2010 and the change to the HSC PDHPE syllabus the following questions have been present in HSC exams.
2012 Question 26
Describe TWO different types of motivation that can affect performance. Provide examples. 3 Marks
2015 Question 26
Explain how different types of motivation can affect an athlete’s performance 4 Marks
2019 Question 21
Outline how goal setting can influence an athlete’s motivation level. Use examples to support your answer. 3 marks
2021 Question 23
Describe TWO ways in which extrinsic motivation can affect an athlete’s performance. Provide examples to support your answer. 4 marks