Motivational Mindset & Social Pressure: Athletes' Expectations about Game Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate when athletes perform poorly with a specific motivational mindset and how they respond based on the social pressures they experience. This paper discussed how social pressures are naturally embedded within sports and examined the complex psychological and physiological dynamics within humans. Specifically, what type of pressure occurs within sports and how various levels of pressure can lead to different athletic outcomes. Additionally, this paper explores existing literature on athletic performance and motivational mindset. Shown across many studies, when an athlete has an approach mindset and perceives their task as a challenge, they embrace the difficulty of the task by viewing the obstacle as an opportunity for growth. However, when an athlete has an avoidance mindset, they perceive their task as a threat, resulting in increased fear of failure and concerns of making a mistake. In this study, participants imagined performing poorly during a game while experiencing social pressure (low or high) with an approach or avoidance mindset. Results revealed that participants with an approach (vs. avoidance) mindset expected to perform better, including making the shot, future performance, overall enjoyment of playing sports, and confidence. Additionally, participants under low (vs. high) social pressure were expected to perform better, including making the shot, having confidence, and having a strong athletic identity. Contrary to my hypothesis, there was no significant interaction between social pressure and motivation mindset on the dependent variables. The implications of this work for athletes’ performance under pressure in athletic events are discussed. Keywords: athletic performance, motivational mindset, social pressures