Date of Graduation

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

Committee Chair

Michelle A. Sandrey

Abstract

Context: There have been a limited number of studies pertaining to a combination of motivation and verbal feedback and their impact on performance, especially in the High School setting. Although each concept has been researched individually, limited information has been provided regarding both concepts. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if a difference exists between motivation orientation and feedback provided, thus impacting performance testing outcomes. Design: The design of this study was a prospective descriptive analysis, which identified the motivation orientation of high school athletes by three basic groups through the use of the Sport Motivation Scale and scores on performance testing. The two factorial designs used in this study was a 2x3x3 design. These analyses examined the independent variables of; gender (male and female), feedback type (positive, negative, and none), and motivation levels (extrinsic, intrinsic, and amotivation). The dependent variable for this factorial design was the scores from the 40 yard sprint test. Another factorial design used the same independent variables, but the dependent variable was the scores from the agility t-test. Setting: A class AAA high school in suburban north central West Virginia. Participants: This study included 54 student athletes competing at the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman levels. The athletic teams that were used were football, volleyball, boys and girls soccer, wrestling, boys and girls basketball, softball, and baseball. The average age of the subjects was 16.30 ± 1.14 years. The subjects included in the study were used because these individuals were a sample of convenience. The subjects were excluded if they did not participate with an athletic team. Subjects were also excluded if they had a lower extremity injury in the past two months, undergone reconstructive lower extremity surgery within the past six months, a significant upper extremity injury in which they do not have full shoulder range of motion, a head injury in the past six months that has required them to have no activity for three or more weeks and diagnosed by a physician, currently taking any medication that may affect agility, involved in any agility or speed training in the past six months, any vestibular disorders in the past six months, or if the subject and parents did not sign the informed consent forms. Interventions: The subjects completed a demographic questionnaire and the Sports Motivation Scale (SMS) questionnaire. The SMS gave information regarding the subjects’ motivational orientation. The subject completed three trials each of the 40 yard sprint and the agility t-test. The feedback for these trials was randomly selected by the subject by placing 6 index cards face down in any order they desired. Main Outcome Measures: There will be a significant difference between the motivation types and feedback provided, thus impacting performance testing outcomes. Results: The SMS showed 53.7% (n=29) and 46.3% (n=25) of the athletes were intrinsically and extrinsically oriented, respectively. A significant main effect was noted for gender on the 40-yard sprint test (F1,1=33.774, P< .001, ES= .403 β=1.0) and the agility t-test (F1,1=36.520, P< .001, ES= .422, β=1.00). Another significant difference was found for feedback type (F2,1=8.027, P=.001, ES= .138, β=.952) in the agility ttest. No other ANOVA results were statistically significant. Neither pairwise comparisons nor chi-square testing were found to be statistically significant. Conclusions: There are differences between gender on performance testing results. Positive and negative feedback yielded better results rather than no feedback on performance tests.

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