Mental Preparation for Physical Activities: Goal Setting.

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Mental Preparation for Physical Activities Goal
Setting.

• Mr. P. Leighton
• Sports Psychology.

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Todays Session

• Understand the importance of goal setting and how
  it impacts upon performance and the development
  of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
• Look at the 3 different types of goal in sport.
• Design your own 20 mark question for someone else
  in the group to answer on the area.

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The 4 Ps

• What makes you continue in a sport?
• The 4 Ps are integral to the performer or
  participants interest in a sport for the long
  term.
• PERCEPTION formed by an individual of their own
  ability to succeed during PERFORMANCE is the
  major factor in both PARTICIPATION and
  PERSISTENCE.
• They also play a big part in an achievement of an
  overall aim.

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Goal Setting

• Have you ever set yourself an unattainable goal?
  How did you feel when you didnt achieve it?
  (De-motivated?)
• Goal setting can develop
• Positive self-perception
• Reduce anxiety
• Facilitate optimal performance
• Improve confidence
• Increase motivation

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Some theory then

• Lock and Latham (1990) suggested that goal
  setting influences performance in 4 ways

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Remember G.C.S.E?

• How did you set goals at G.C.S.E?
• S- Specific
• M- Measurable
• A- Achievable
• R- Realistic
• T- Time bound

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Goal setting is now SMARTER

• SPECIFIC Relating directly to the task-
  Netball Specific VS. Non specific goals?
• MEASURABLE Goals should be evaluated and
  measured against a previous performer or
  external standard.
• ACCEPTED To be effective a goal must be accepted
  by both the coach and the performer
• REALISTIC Goals should be challenging but also
  attainable. Attainment breeds challenge and
  confidence- confidence breeds motivation to
  aim for the next goal.
• TIMED A time limit should be set to achieve the
  goal. Consideration must be give to whether
  the goal is Short/Medium/Long.
• EXCITING Excitement is generated when a goal
  provides a challenge. The stimulation of
  excitement offsets boredom.
• RECORDED Achievement of progress towards a
  target should be logged (ink it, dont think
  it) recording achievement can itself be
  motivational.

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Time based goals

• Do you have goals? When are they set for?
• My goals are SHORT/MEDIUM/LONG term
• Short Ensure that this is a good and memorable
  lesson (key words at end)
• Medium Ensure that you all pass this area of the
  exam this year (mock results)
• Long Become Head of Department before Im 30
  (Age and Professional Development)

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Short term goals

• Give immediate success.
• Set initially at the level of the performer- why?
• Goals can become progressively more difficult.
• Link between performers initial capability and
  long term goal of achievement- what they want and
  when they want it?
• Jervis (2006) stated that the most effective
  goals (according to research) are SHORT TERM

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Medium term goals

• Intermediate goals are closely linked to short
  term goal setting.
• They also allow links to long term goals.
• Intermediate goals endorse the effectiveness of
  short term goals (medium term goals generally set
  on the success of the short)

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Long term goals

• The ultimate aim- Uni/Job/Marriage/Kids etc.
• Takes an extended period to achieve.
• Getting selected/signed for a team or changing
  your lifestyle and HF are LONG TERM.
• Major behavioural changes, however cannot be
  achieved through long term goals alone- why?
• Long term goals are daunting- why? (Anxiety)

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Activity-based goals
Type of Goal Explanation
Performance Goals Based on judgements made of an individual against their previous performances (An athlete may strive for a PB). Performance goals are MEASURABLE i.e. Increase run average in Cricket.
Process Goals Concerned with improving techniques to produce a better performance e.g. improving footwork whilst trying to improve run rate in Cricket.
Product Goals Sometimes called OUTCOME GOALS. Defeating other competitors and concerned with winning outcomes. This type of goal focuses on the end result and is often externally controlled.
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Goal types Negatives of Product goals

• Totally focussing on product goals can leave a
  performer anxious and de-motivated as the athlete
  is required to win to achieve a goal.
• Product goals are often controlled by external
  agencies and therefore are out of a performers
  control, another cause of anxiety.
• Winning is often determined by?
• Luck (performance and injury)
• Task difficulty (draw or form)

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Effective goal setting

• It would appear that setting both performance and
  process goals is the best way to increase
  motivation, commitment and performance.
• These goals give more control to the participant
  and are good indicators of an athletes
  commitment to training and competition.
• Performance goals are better than Product goals.
  (Cox,1998)

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Effective goal setting continued

• Goals of all descriptions are more effective in
  competitive sport when they are formal and set by
  a coach.
• To ensure maximum benefit goals that are dictated
  should also be negotiated and agreed to suit the
  athlete, with the athlete.
• What about non- elite, participation based
  exercise?

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Exercise Adherence

• Martin (1984) proposed goals set by the
  participant should be flexible rather than fixed
  Why?
• Needs to fit in with lifestyle/work balance etc.

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What goals can do for you

• Goals must be SPECIFIC
• Do your best TOO GENERAL (must be objective
  and measurable)
• Measurement gives the feedback and degree of
  success needed to set the next short term goal.
• Goals of moderate difficulty lead to the
  production of best performance (Kyllo and
  Landers, 1995)

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Goals, Self-efficacy and Attribution

• What is self-efficacy?
• If goals are set correctly then the performer
  develops a better sense of Self efficacy
  (Bandura, 1977)
• Also better or more suited goal setting allows a
  performer to ATTRIBUTE success more to their own
  skills and talents and not to luck or chance.
• Linked back to previous work.

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Product goals then

• Not always detrimental.
• Obviously, some tasks have an emergent and
  obvious winner due to the outcome of the sport.
• Product goals should be part of performance
  preparation.

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Finally

• It is recommended that a combination of goal
  types should be incorporated into preparation and
  that for every product (outcome) goal there
  should be a number of performance and process
  (technique) goals set for an athlete (Filby et
  al, 1999)

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Work for you

• Using the information from today, design your own
  10 mark question on goal setting for the
  beginning of next week.
• This will be for someone else to answer so you
  should create your own mark scheme to back this
  up and used for feedback and further goal
  setting

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Key words from today?