• Duda and Nicholls (1989) came up with a neat tool: “Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire” (TEOSQ).
• It's like the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter but for sports goal orientations! 🎩

• Task Orientation

  • What it means: Focusing on the task at hand and self-improvement.
  • Upsides: 🆙 Effort, joy, persistence, satisfaction, and interest.
  • Fun Fact: These folks are intrinsically motivated. They’re the ones you find dancing in the rain because they just love the feel!

• Ego Orientation

  • What it means: Focusing on outperforming others.
  • Downsides: 😞 Less enjoyment and interest but a bonus in boredom.

Fo et al. (1994)

• Four groups based on combinations of task and ego orientation:

  • 🥇 High task/High ego
  • 🥈 Low task/High ego
  • 🥉 High task/Low ego
  • 🎖 Low task/Low ego

• Results? 📊

  • 🥇 High task/High ego group had the most fun and felt most competent in sports. Imagine LeBron James playing basketball with the joy of a kid who just learned how to dunk on his toy hoop.
  • 🎖 Low task/Low ego group? Not so enthusiastic. They’re the ones wondering if there’s a pizza party at the end.

• Key Takeaway: Being task-driven is awesome for motivation! But, sprinkle some ego (not too much) and it might just boost the fun without hurting the drive.