Abstract

This study investigated the effects of perceived competence and goal orientation on negative and positive affect and persistence in a motor skill during success and failure conditions. The task consisted of balancing on a stability platform and throwing a ball behind the back at targets of varying size. Sixty-one university student volunteers completed the study. On the basis of a Task Specific Perceived Competence scale, subjects were separated into high or low perceived competence groups and randomly assigned to either a task or an ego goal orientation group. These two factors were crossed to form four groups. Task criteria were manipulated so that subjects experienced four success and then four failure test trials on the task. They were allowed up to five rehearsal trials (persistence measure) between each test trial. Negative and positive affect was assessed after test trials four and eight. The analysis found no support for group differences or interactions with the success/failure condition. There was a significant condition effect for negative affect; negative affect increased for all groups from success to failure. The analysis for persistence revealed a Goal orientation by Gender by Condition interaction. Post-hoc analysis revealed that during failure, females with an ego orientation persisted less than the other three groups. Verf.-Referat (gekuerzt)