Differences in Mindset and Motivation among Athletes and Non-Athletes

Presenter Information

Angela Caban, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Location

CSU 201

Start Date

4-4-2011 11:00 AM

End Date

4-4-2011 12:30 PM

Student's Major

Psychology

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Emily Stark

Mentor's Department

Psychology

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

Why do some individuals go on to develop their abilities, while others do not? Mindset is a relatively new concept, developed by social psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck, through her years of research on performance, motivation, and success. Mindset plays a role in athletic performance because those with a fixed mindset tend to believe their ability is natural and cannot be improved. Conversely, athletes who have a growth mindset understand that their abilities can always be refined. They are better able to identify their weaknesses and put forth effort to improve them. This enables them to be more successful than their counterparts with fixed mindsets. The purpose of the current study was to explore the differences in mindset and motivation among athletes and non-athletes. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire consisting of demographic, mindset, and motivation questions. Preliminary data suggested that athletes were more likely to have a growth mindset compared to non-athletes. It also suggested that athletes who have a growth mindset are more intrinsically motivated then non-athletes. We expect that full analysis will show that athletes have a growth mindset with intrinsic motivation, and non-athletes have a fixed mindset with extrinsic motivation. We also expect that growth mindsets will be more strongly related to enjoyment of sports or academics compared to fixed mindsets.