Physical activity is an essential element in achieving better health outcomes since it plays an essential role in the prevention and management of several lifestyle diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and the cardiovascular disease among others. However, although most people understand the health benefits of adopting healthy lifestyles, the majority lack the motivation to engage in physical activity. In order to encourage healthy lifestyles, health professionals are increasingly applying different motivational theories to promote participation in physical activity. One of the theories that have demonstrated effectiveness in improving the level of participation in physical fitness programs among populations is the achievement goal theory. Therefore, this essay will explore how the goal achievement theory has been applied in the real world, and establish how health professionals or psychologists can apply the theory to enhance participation in regular physical exercise in Australia.
Achievement Goal Theory (AGT)
The AGT presents three key explanatory constructs, including states of goal climates, goal orientations, and goal involvement. Achievement goals comprise of the purposes, aims, or the focus of one’s achievement behavior. According to Klain et al. (2014), the goals include dynamic cognitive entities that represent future-based probabilities that act as responses to a situation as well as the person. The goals mainly refer to the manner in which individuals evaluate their level of incompetence or competence and align their behavior respectively. The AGT model emphasizes the role of goal achievement in the regulation of diverse outcomes, including cognitive, behavioral, and effective outcomes as people pursue competence in a given area. However, the goal involvement states may change with time, which illustrates the importance of understanding their temporal and contextual reference frame. The extent to which the states of involvement can be predicted varies depending on the connection between the reference frame for the outcome and the goal. For instance, the goals set today are more effective in predicting today’s outcomes compared to the prediction of future outcomes.
The AGT model is founded on the assumption that individuals are rational and that they are guided by goals, therefore suggesting that one can guide his or her motivation through task and ego, based on the approach that one uses to define success when participating in a given activity. Task and ego goals comprise of the major goal orientations outlined under AGT. The task orientation is considered to be more adaptive compared to the ego orientation. Task orientation largely relates to positive learning attitudes, effective learning strategies, positive emotions, and selecting challenging tasks. Conversely, the ego orientation mainly relates to selecting simpler tasks, concern for social status, insignificant learning strategies, and behavior withdrawal and thoughts of quitting when difficulties emerge. According to Isoard-Gautheur, Guillet-Descas, and Duda (2013), ego-oriented individuals focus on the results that emanate from their engagement in a particular activity, and they measure competence by comparing their results with those of others. On the other hand, task-oriented individuals focus on the improvement of personal skills; therefore, they measure competence using criteria that are self-referred. Hence, the theory indicates that the goal orientation influences a person’s beliefs and contributes to decision-making that guides one’s behavior and extensive determines their level of motivation.
Application of the AGT to Exercise Behavior
The achievement goal theory has been extensively applied in the modification of exercise behavior both in institutional and community settings, and it has demonstrated great success. Isoard-Gautheur, Guillet-Descas, and Duda (2013) applied the AGT approach to improving participation in physical education and established that in individuals with high ego orientation are likely to express the notion that they can achieve success in physical education if they have greater ability compared to individuals with low ego orientation. On the other hand, Fernandez-Rio et al. (2014) established that high task individuals are more likely to demonstrate the belie f that they can achieve success through cooperation, intrinsic interest in the physical activity, and high effort compared to individuals that are low task oriented. According to Klain et al. (2014 different individuals demonstrate varying motivational processes based on the goal orientation that they possess. However, health professionals also consider the environment in which an individual is exposed to in determining whether individuals will adopt a given achievement goal. From the situational perspective, Fernandez-Rio (2014) argues that one’s experiences and the interpretations of the experiences largely influence the extent of the ego and task involvement. Individuals who consider their experiences a task-oriented are likely to prefer challenging tasks, apply effort strategies, and relate effort to success.
The level of motivation within a given environment influences the outcomes of the participants in a given activity to a great extent. There are several approaches that individuals apply to enhance the level of motivation, including changing one’s goal orientation, creating linkages between goals, achievement contexts and motivational outcomes. Strategies that resonate with the promotion of task or ego achievement goals demonstrate great success in improving the level of motivation to engage in a certain task. According to Isoard-Gautheur, Guillet-Descas, and Duda (2013 one of the most effective approach for enhancing motivation levels is creating a climate that is ego-involving, which emphasizes on the normative standards of performance that are found in physical activity and comparing the climate with a motivational climate that is task-involving and focused on personal improvement and learning. From this perspective, professionals can effectively manipulate environments to create the necessary motivational levels to facilitate higher participation in physical exercises.
Another approach that professionals apply to modify exercise behavior using AGT is the manipulation of the target structures. The approach involves overriding the current goal orientations of the participants. The AGT approach helps professionals to successfully induce a task or ego orientation in the participants. Klain et al. (2014) postulate that professionals can manipulate the participants’ orientation by creating an environment where individuals perceive a motivational climate in the context that their ability demonstration is based on effort and personal improvement rather than by outperforming others. Creating such a motivational climate often involves structuring physical activities in a way that influences the participants’ recognition of tasks that involve a motivational climate, which further enhances the individuals’ motivation levels. Fernandez-Rio et al. (2014) demonstrate that it is not only possible to create a climate that is task-involving, but also notes that most individuals thrive in such environments. Hence, task involvement is the key aspect that promotes motivation in physical activity, a factor that illustrates that for one to enhance participation in physical activity, professionals should create environments that are task-involving.
Ways in which the AGT can be applied to Promote Exercise Participation in Australia
Based on the above analysis, task involvement is the key factor that promotes motivation in physical activity. In the Australian context, the achievement goal theory can be applied to encourage higher participation in physical exercises in a number of ways, including engaging individuals in designing physical activities, provision of rewards, and proper monitoring. Engaging target members in designing learning activities and tasks in the physical activity programs play a crucial role in encouraging individuals to work towards achieving the set goals, which illustrates that individuals with an ego orientation would successfully shift towards a task orientation (Isoard-Gautheur, Guillet-Descas " Duda, 2013). Participation in making decision creates higher feelings of perceived ability if the target individuals are involved in making vital decisions regarding the physical activity programs. The fact that individuals use tasks to measure their ability indicates the need for diversity in tasks is crucial to encourage more people to participate in physical activity. Diversity helps to encourage people from different backgrounds as well as individuals with different characteristics to participate since their needs are adequately catered.
Another aspect of diversity that should be included to encourage higher engagement in exercises in Australia is establishing flexible environments where individuals can exercise. However, the environments should be equipped with personal trainers to help in facilitating the development of a task-oriented climate. Creating ideal environments is crucial in enhancing participation in physical exercises. According to Klain et al. (2014), individuals who exercise in centers with personal trainers demonstrate higher motivational levels as well as a greater orientation towards task rather than ego. Therefore, fitness professionals should adequately understand the ego and task orientations and sufficiently work towards building a task-oriented environment that presents greater results in the context of physical exercises. Finally, the relevant departments in Australia should establish reward schemes for individuals who engage in physical exercises. Such schemes may comprise programs that allow ordinary citizens to compete against each other and get rewarded for their participation. Introducing rewards in physical fitness schemes would facilitate the adoption of task orientation, whereby more individuals would participate in exercises for purposes of earning a reward for their hard work.
Conclusion
The achievement goal theory is an effective approach in motivating individuals to engage in activities that often seem challenging, including sports. The theory works by stimulating interest in a particular task as well as creating an environment that encourages individuals to participate in the task. The model outlines two orientations in goals, including the ego and task orientation. However, for motivation to occur, the goals of the individuals must be aligned towards the task orientation. In the Australian context, the theory can be applied to encourage greater participation in physical activity through creating environments that incorporate the diverse population, involving the target groups in the decision-making process, and provision of rewards for participation in the physical activity programs.
References
Fernandez-Rio, J., Cecchini Estrada, J. A., Mendez-Giménez, A., Fernández-Garcia, B., " Saavedra, P. (2014). 2× 2 Dominant achievement goal profiles in high-level swimmers. European Journal of Sport Science, 14(3), 265-272.
Isoard-Gautheur, S., Guillet-Descas, E., " Duda, J. L. (2013). How to achieve in elite training centers without burning out? An achievement goal theory perspective. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14(1), 72-83.
Klain, I. P., Cid, L., Matos, D. G. D., Leitão, J. C., Hickner, R. C., " Moutão, J. (2014). Motivational climate, goal orientation and exercise adherence in fitness centers and personal training contexts. Motriz: Revista de Educação Física, 20(3), 249-256.
