Goal proximity and achievement motivation of high school boys in basketball shooting skills
Date
1988
Authors
Poole, Robert W.
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to test the effects of goal proximity and achievement motivation on basketball shooting performance of physical education students. Data were collected on 79 male grade 10 students. One week prior to the beginning of a basketball unit, students were categorized as high achievers and low achievers based on their achievement score on the Howe Sport Behavior Assessment Scale. Within each achievement group, subjects were randomly assigned to either a weekly short-term goal group (20% of the possible improvement to an ideal score from their present score), a long term goal group (40% of the possible improvement to an ideal score from their present score by Trial 4), or a short-termĀ-plus-long-term goal group. Subjects completed a Speed Spot Shooting Test (Hopkins, Shick, and Placek, 1984) once every week to measure their performance in relation to their assigned goal. No significant differences between goal setting conditions were found on Trial 1 and thus a 3 x 2 x 4 ( Goal Proximity x Achievement Motivation x Trials) MANOVA was conducted. Performance results revealed no significant between-group differences. A postexperimental questionnaire revealed that a majority of students from all goal proximity conditions were setting their own short-term goals. Results are discussed in terms of Bandura's self-efficacy theory of motivation and the use of goals in motor skill tasks in physical education.