Motivation and goal setting (SACE Stage 2 Physical Education)
“Explain intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and apply the principles of effective goal setting to improve participation and performance.”
Motivation is what drives a person to start and keep going. Intrinsic motivation comes from within (enjoyment, mastery) and is the most durable; extrinsic motivation comes from outside rewards (trophies, praise) and works in the short term but can undermine intrinsic motivation if overused. Goal setting channels motivation: effective goals are specific, measurable and challenging yet realistic, and mix process and outcome goals.
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What this dot point is asking
You must explain types of motivation and apply the principles of effective goal setting to improve participation and performance.
Types of motivation
- Intrinsic motivation comes from the activity itself: the enjoyment, satisfaction and sense of mastery or competence. It is the strongest predictor of long-term participation and persistence.
- Extrinsic motivation comes from outside the activity: tangible rewards (medals, money) and intangible rewards (praise, recognition). It can boost effort in the short term but is less durable.
Intrinsic motivation is the drive to participate for the inherent enjoyment or challenge of the activity. Extrinsic motivation is the drive to participate to gain a separate reward or avoid punishment. Lasting engagement relies mostly on intrinsic motivation.
The overjustification effect
Excessive external rewards can backfire. If a person who plays for enjoyment is given large rewards, they may start to play for the reward instead, and their intrinsic motivation falls. This is the overjustification effect, and it explains why coaches use rewards sparingly and emphasise enjoyment, autonomy and mastery to protect intrinsic motivation.
Why goal setting works
Goals direct attention, mobilise effort, increase persistence and encourage the development of strategies. A clear goal turns a vague wish to "get fitter" into a concrete target that motivates action and lets progress be measured.
Principles of effective goal setting
Effective goals are commonly described as SMART:
- Specific: clearly defined, not vague.
- Measurable: progress can be tracked with numbers or evidence.
- Achievable: within reach given the person's circumstances.
- Realistic (and challenging): demanding enough to motivate but not impossible.
- Time-bound: with a deadline that creates urgency.
Outcome goals focus on results against others (winning). Performance goals focus on a personal standard (running a personal best time). Process goals focus on the actions within control (maintaining technique). Process and performance goals are within the athlete's control and protect motivation when results do not go their way, so they should dominate.
Applying goal setting
Good practice sets a few prioritised goals, blends short-term goals (stepping stones that build confidence) with long-term goals (the destination), writes them down, and reviews and adjusts them regularly. Short-term success builds the self-belief that sustains effort toward distant goals.
Motivation and goal setting also interact. Well-designed process goals protect intrinsic motivation because they reward effort and mastery rather than comparison with others, so an athlete can have a satisfying session even after a loss. Goals that are too easy fail to engage, while goals that are unrealistic erode confidence and motivation, which is why the challenging-yet-achievable balance is central. The applied skill this dot point assesses is to take a vague aspiration, reframe it into a structured set of process, performance and outcome goals, and explain how that structure sustains motivation across a training program and the Self-improvement Portfolio.
Setting goals for a recreational runner
A beginner wants to "get fit." A coach reframes this into SMART goals: a long-term outcome goal of completing a 5 km event in 12 weeks; a performance goal of running 5 km continuously by week 8; and weekly process goals such as running three times and maintaining a steady cadence. The process goals are within the runner's control, build early success and protect intrinsic motivation by emphasising mastery rather than comparison with others.
Do not assume rewards always increase motivation; over-rewarding an already intrinsically motivated person can reduce their enjoyment through the overjustification effect. Also avoid relying only on outcome goals such as winning, because they are not fully within the athlete's control and can damage motivation when the athlete performs well but still loses.
Assessment-style questions
Questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer, written by ExamExplained. Physical Education has no written exam, so use them to check your understanding before your assessment tasks.
Practice6 marksExplain the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and the overjustification effect, and explain why coaches use rewards carefully.Show worked answer →
A 6 mark task needs both types, the effect and the coaching implication.
Define the types. Intrinsic motivation comes from enjoyment and mastery and is most durable; extrinsic motivation comes from external rewards and works in the short term.
Explain overjustification. Excessive rewards can shift an intrinsically motivated person to play for the reward, lowering intrinsic motivation.
Coaching implication. Use rewards sparingly and emphasise enjoyment, autonomy and mastery to protect long-term participation.
Markers reward the two types distinguished, the overjustification effect explained and the link to durable motivation.
Practice6 marksApply the principles of effective goal setting to design goals for an athlete, distinguishing process, performance and outcome goals.Show worked answer →
A 6 mark task needs SMART principles and the three goal types applied.
Apply SMART. Make goals specific, measurable, achievable, realistic yet challenging, and time-bound.
Distinguish the goal types. Outcome goals target results against others; performance goals target a personal standard; process goals target controllable actions.
Recommend a blend. Emphasise process and performance goals because they are within the athlete's control and protect motivation when results do not follow.
Markers reward SMART goals and the three types correctly applied with a justified emphasis on controllable goals.
Practise this
Sources & how we know this
- Stage 2 Physical Education subject outline (2025 onwards) — SACE Board
- Stage 2 Physical Education: external assessment — SACE Board