Adam+Giurlando+RP+Post+5

2 Major Talking points at this time

Intrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic motivation or the desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake (Psych. 8th edition) is a major motivational point behind success at sports. The “Joy of Playing” is often cited as an intrinsic motivation, but I contest that this may not be so. Extrinsic motivation is the opposite, or motivation coming from outside the player (sports Psychology) and I feel that before intrinsic motivation can take place there must be extrinsic motivation that causes the athlete to be conditioned to the benefits of performing well before they can self motivate (psychology today). Basically you have to learn from an outside source that there are rewards before you can self motivate to get those rewards. However once this motivation is established then intrinsic motivation, known as the desire to compete, can take place (tripod.com).

Conditioning I also feel that conditioning takes a major role in the desire to perform well individually at sports. Some say that this is simply our evolutionary drive to survive and be better than our peers, but I feel it is based more on conditioned responses. This is because our evolutionary needs require us to be good at something, but not the best, whereas in sports one always must want to be the best. This is learned through conditioning that losing has negative consequences and not being the best also has negative consequences such as not playing in games even if your team is good, you may not be good enough to get into the game. (8th edition)

I do concede that performing well as a group in sports is linked to evolution due to the “Us or Them” mentality. It segregates your group from others and even if you do not like someone on your team they still take priority over others whom you don’t know on the other team.(8th edition)