What drives performers to achieve, and how do they explain their successes and failures?
Types of motivation, achievement motivation and self-efficacy, goal setting, and the attribution of success and failure including learned helplessness.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on motivation and attribution, covering intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, achievement motivation and the need to achieve, self-efficacy, goal setting, Weiner's attribution model, and learned helplessness.
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What this dot point is asking
WJEC wants you to distinguish intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, explain achievement motivation and self-efficacy, describe effective goal setting, and explain how performers attribute success and failure using Weiner's model, including how attributions cause learned helplessness and how to prevent it.
Types of motivation
Both can drive performance, but coaches favour building intrinsic motivation because it is more durable. Over-using extrinsic rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation: if a performer takes part only for the reward, enjoyment falls and motivation drops when the reward is removed or becomes routine.
Achievement motivation and self-efficacy
A coach raises self-efficacy by ensuring early success, providing good role models, giving encouragement, and helping the performer control arousal. High self-efficacy increases effort, persistence and the willingness to take on challenges.
Goal setting
Goals direct effort and raise motivation when set well. Effective goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Recorded, Time-bound). It is best to use a mix of:
- Outcome goals (winning) - motivating but dependent on others.
- Performance goals (beating a personal best) - within the performer's control.
- Process goals (improving a technique) - focusing on how to perform.
Process and performance goals are emphasised under pressure because they are controllable and reduce anxiety.
Attribution and learned helplessness
The attributions a performer makes shape future motivation. Attributing success to internal, stable causes (ability) builds pride and confidence. Attributing failure repeatedly to internal, stable causes (low ability) leads to learned helplessness: the belief that failure is inevitable and effort is pointless, which destroys motivation. Attribution retraining prevents this by encouraging the performer to attribute failure to internal but unstable, controllable causes (lack of effort, wrong tactics) that can be changed.
Examples in context
Example 1. Process goals under pressure. A penalty taker focuses on a process goal (placement and technique) rather than the outcome (scoring), which keeps arousal controllable and improves execution. WJEC uses this to show why controllable goals are emphasised in pressured moments.
Example 2. Building self-efficacy in a novice. A coach gives a nervous beginner a series of achievable tasks and a good role model to copy, so early success and vicarious experience raise their self-efficacy and persistence. This applies Bandura's sources directly.
Try this
Q1. Define self-efficacy and name one of Bandura's sources of it. [2 marks]
- Cue. A performer's belief in their ability to succeed at a specific task; sources include past performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, or emotional/physiological state.
Q2. Explain the two main dimensions Weiner used to classify attributions, with an example of each. [4 marks]
- Cue. Locus of causality (internal, e.g. ability or effort, versus external, e.g. task difficulty or luck) and stability (stable, e.g. ability, versus unstable, e.g. effort).
Q3. Explain how attribution retraining can prevent learned helplessness. [2 marks]
- Cue. The coach encourages the performer to attribute failure to internal but unstable, controllable causes (lack of effort, tactics) that can be changed, restoring the belief that effort makes a difference.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC 20186 marksUsing Weiner's model, explain how the attributions a performer makes after losing can lead to learned helplessness, and how a coach could prevent it.Show worked answer →
Weiner's model classifies attributions on two main dimensions: the locus of causality (internal or external) and stability (stable or unstable). For example, ability is internal and stable; effort is internal and unstable; task difficulty is external and stable; luck is external and unstable.
If a performer repeatedly attributes failure to internal, stable causes (such as low ability), they come to believe failure is inevitable and beyond their control. This is learned helplessness, a belief that effort makes no difference, and it lowers motivation and persistence.
A coach prevents it through attribution retraining: encouraging the performer to attribute failure to internal but unstable, controllable causes (such as lack of effort or the wrong tactics) that can be changed, and attributing success to internal stable causes (ability). Setting achievable performance goals and giving positive reinforcement also rebuild confidence.
Markers reward the two attribution dimensions with examples, the link from internal-stable failure attributions to learned helplessness, and attribution retraining as prevention.
WJEC 20204 marksExplain the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and explain a risk of relying too heavily on extrinsic rewards.Show worked answer →
Intrinsic motivation comes from within the performer: the satisfaction, enjoyment and pride of taking part and improving. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside: tangible rewards (trophies, money) and intangible rewards (praise, recognition).
A risk of relying too heavily on extrinsic rewards is that they can undermine intrinsic motivation: if a performer comes to take part only for the reward, their enjoyment falls, and when the reward is removed or becomes routine, motivation drops. Excessive extrinsic focus can also increase pressure and anxiety.
Markers reward a clear definition of each type and the point that over-using extrinsic rewards can reduce intrinsic motivation.
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