SUMMARY OF LINK BETWEEN FEEDBACK,
SELF-EFFICACY, AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT.
Overall, however, inferring from the available literature, there clearly appears to be a
link between feedback in general, self-efficacy, and performance. Although intrinsic feedback
promotes self-efficacy and performance, it is less clear if does so more effectively or to a
greater degree than any other forms of feedback. This question can’t be answered with the current
state of the research although it certainly points in the direction of the importance of intrinsic
feedback to the development of self-efficacy. It just doesn’t indicate whether it is more valuable
than extrinsic feedback.
One major problem with the research is that a great deal of it is questionnaire research
which has many problems in determining causality and makes it difficult to determine the role of
ability in relation to self-efficacy and intrinsic feedback. The question of intrinsic feedback
and the impact on self-efficacy is a more difficult question to study because Swinnen (1994)
indicates that intrinsic feedback is more useful for enhancing performance of already learned
material; therefore, an athlete would have to already have learned the basic skills through
external feedback and then to learn methods of intrinsic feedback. The research becomes even
more difficult considering that a comparison needs to be made between extrinsic feedback and
intrinsic feedback with self-efficacy being assessed at different point in the process.
However, I do believe that it is possible to conduct such research in a reasonable way
and be able to answer this question. For instance, two groups of athletes could be taught two
different but comparable skills from their sport. Once they have learned the basic skills, the
teaching method for one skill would involve extrinsic feedback only and for the other skill
they would be taught goal setting and self-assessment of their performance. This within subjects
design would be powerful in terms of controlling for a number of extraneous variables such as
differences in ability, gender, and age. Two groups would be needed so that one group learns
through extrinsic feedback first and the other group through intrinsic feedback first to control
for order effects and one type of feedback influencing the other. Since self-efficacy is focused
on a specific skill it could be measured independently for each skill prior to learning, after
having learned the basic skill but before the manipulated feedback, and then after each of the
feedback conditions. Finally, the skills used need to be either very concrete in terms of
outcome or judges need to determine the performance ability pre- and post-manipulation. In this
way, the influence of intrinsic vs. extrinsic feedback on self-efficacy could be assessed and how
that affects performance.
References
Allen, J.B. & Howe, B.L. (1998). Player ability, coach feedback, and female adolescent
athletes’ perceived competence and satisfaction. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 20, 280-299.
Amorose, A.J. & Horn, T.S. (2000). Intrinsic motivation: Relationships with
collegiate athletes’ gender, scholarship status, and perceptions of their coaches’ behavior.
Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 22, 63-84.
Amorose, A.J. & Weiss, M.R. (1998). Coaching feedback as a source of information about
perceptions of ability: A developmental examination. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology,
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Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bram, A.D. & Feltz, D.L. (1995). Effects of batting performance feedback on motivational
factors and batting performance in youth baseball. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 81, 1367-1378.
Chase, M.A., Lirgg, C.D., & Feltz, D.L. (1997). Coaches behaviors conflict with those
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Shoenfelt, E. (1996). Goal setting and feedback as a posttraining strategy to increase the
transfer of training. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 83, 176-178.
Swinnen, S.P. (1996). Information feedback for motor skill learning: A review. In Advances
in Motor Learning and Control, edited by H.N. Zelaznik. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Tzetzis, G., Kioumourtzoglou, E., & Mavromatis, G. (1997). Goal setting and feedback
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Copyright © 2002 by Monica A. Frank, Ph.D. and
www.excelatlife.com. Permission to reprint this
article is granted if it includes this entire copyright
and link.
Self-Efficacy Influences Motor
Skills Development--page 1
How Does Instructor Feedback
Affect Skill Development?--page 2
How Does the Type of Instructor
Feedback Affect Skill Development?--page 3
How Does Intrinsic Motivation
Develop?--page 4
How Should Feedback Be Provided
to Athletes?--page 5
Summary of Link Between
Feedback, Self-Efficacy, and Skill Development--page 6
