- Email: [email protected]
Goal Orientation and Achievement of Junior in Golfers Malaysia
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 1644–1649
WCES-2011
Goal Orientation and Achievement of Junior in Golfers Malaysia Rohaty Majzub a* , Tajul Ariffin Muhammad a 1
b
2
*
Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Abstract Sports psychology plays a vital role in contributing to the performance of an athlete. This research examined the level of goal orientation towards the performance of the Junior Golfers in Malaysia and its relationship with their achievement. Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaires (TEOSQ) was administered to measure goal orientation aspects. A purposive sample of 80 junior golfers who participated in the 2002 national junior golf circuit was employed for this study. The findings showed that Junior Golfers were more Task orientated rather than Ego oriented. There was a significant correlation between Ego Orientation and Nett Score Achievement. However, there were no correlations between Task, Ego Orientation and Gross Score Achievement as well as between Task orientation and Nett Score Achievement. The findings of this study has implications to education policy, sports trainers and athletes. It is recommended that future studies examine a larger sample of Golfers from different levels or athletes from different types of sport. Qualitative research should be conducted in addition to quantitative research to get a deeper understanding of the athletes’ thoughts during competition. A comparative study between psychological profiles of Malaysian athletes and other successful international athletes is also recommended. Keywords: Goal orientation; Task Orientation; Ego orientation; Nett score achievement; Gross score achievement
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.
Introduction
Golf sport is increasingly popular within Malaysian society today. Golf is not only a sport competition, but also important in developing social relationship, health and economy. Estimation of active golfers in Malaysia until the year 2020 is more than 450.000 people. Golf is a sport that is often recommended by corporations for business purposes and generating funds for charitable projects in the country. It is a sport that could attract tourists to come to this country. In addition, Malaysia has more than 203 golf courses as well as suitable weather that allow golf to be played almost throughout the year. Mental aspect is an integral part that exists in a competitive athlete including Golf players. An athlete should maintain an appropriate level of mental health to enable him to perform at optimal level in line with the existing potential (Anshel, 1997). To achieve this goal, psychological factors such as goal orientation, concentration and anxiety must be well controlled to produce the best performance. When the competition becomes more intense, greater mental resilience is required because motor skills gaps among athletes today are getting smaller. Success and failure in sports, especially golf is often associated with motivation, attention and arousal (Wann 1997). Thus, the mental preparation for athletes before and during the competition is very important. 2 Rohaty Majzub. Tel.:+60193813740 ; fax:+6 03 89254372 E-mail address: [email protected] .
1877–0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.03.346
Rohaty Majzub and y Tajul Ariffi j n Muhammad j ff / Procedia Social and gyBehavioral Sciences ( ) 15 (2011) 1644–1649
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1.1 Statement of problem In Malaysia, psychological aspect and mental preparation of an athlete is still not given much attention before competing in international level. Insufficient service from sport psychologists in many sport associations in Malaysia shows that this mental and psychological aspect is not given serious attention by the related parties. There is not enough psychological training for all athletes in order to improve their mental strength. When they are defeated in competition, there is no scientific research analysis or detailed report on that particular part, except only general report in local newspaper. This shows that research or documentation in sport psychology is still lacking in Malaysia. Goal orientation is a determinant factor of athlete’s success in sport. Maehr and Nichcolls (1980) argued that the perception of success or failure will affect one’s goal orentation. The diverse environment and culture will also influence the type of goal set for the competition. The research on goal orientation and achievement were usually conducted in Western countries but many researches in Malaysia still focus on learning styles and academic achievement. Therefore, sport research in diverse cultural country like Malaysia needs to be conducted in order to improve athletes’ performance and sport management as a whole. This paper aimed to measure the level of goal orientation of Junior Golfers in Malaysia and its relationship with their achievement. 1.1.1 Research questions This study has been designed to address to these research questions: 1. What is the level of goal orientation according to the achievement of Junior Golfers? 2. Is there a corellation between Junior Golfers’ goal orientation and achievement? 1.1.1.1 Hypothesis This study was to test 4 null hypothesis Ho1: There is no correlation between nett score achievement and goal orientation Sub H0 1a: Sub H 0 1b:
There is no correlation between nett score achievement and Task goal orientation There is no correlation between nett score achievement and Ego goal orientation
H 0 2: There is no correlation between gross score achievement and goal orientation Subs H0 2a: Sub H0 2b:
There is no correlation between gross score achievement and Task goal orientation There is no correlation between gross score achievement and Ego goal orientation
2. Review of Literature Achievements in the context of this study refers to the match score at two golf tournaments, each tournament is played in two days. Gross score is calculated based on the number of strokes of a player in a two-day accumulation. The lower the number of blows shows greater achievement. Nett score is calculated based on the number after being subtracted by handicap strokes. Nett score in the first and second day will be added to determine the winner. Lower net score indicates better performance. Goals refers to a specific level of efficiency at the appointed time. According to Gill (2000), the purpose of a person involved in a physical activity is to achieve victory and achieve the objectives. In this study, the athlete’s goal is reviewed from the perspective of Task and Ego goal orientation. Goal orientation may also be a determining factor to the success of athletes in a sport competition. This statement was supported by) who stated that the will affect the goals of a person who has a different culture. Nicholls (1989) suggested that perception of individual goals is consistent with the notion of the meaning and the commission he or she receives in an activity. Perception of
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Rohaty Majzub and Tajul Ariffin Muhammad / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 1644–1649
success and failure and diverse cultural environment will also affect the types of goals to be achieved in the competition (Maehr and Nicholls, 1980). Task oriented individuals tend to focus on increasing skill level. They tend to follow the rules, while playing ethical and work together to achieve a goal. It means that they focus on the process rather than just the result of a successful task (Roberts, 1992). What is important to Task oriented athletes are 'how they play the game' and not 'whether they win or lose." In other words, engaging in meaningful tasks that a person will focus on mastering the task rather than the result (Roberts, 1992; Tella, Tella & Adeniyi, 2009; Morales, 2009). Ego oriented individuals tend to focus on the results of the competition. They are more motivated to demonstrate a high ability and avoid showing a low ability. The victory in the competition is the best way to show their abilities. Nicholls (1992) stated that individuals with high ego orientation show high level of effort and perseverance in sports. Instead, the ones who have low Ego orientation may withdraw from the sport (Duda, 1992). Roberts (1992) also agreed that individuals who are high in Ego orientation and perception about their abilities will be more motivated to join competition or contest. Georgiadis et al. (2001) in his study of cricket players who have high Task orientation showed better adaptation to improve their performance. In another study, Chaumeton and Duda (1998) found a positive correlation between the level of involvement and Ego orientation in sport. This study, conducted on basketball players and coaches, showed Ego orientation increased from primary to secondary school. From this finding, in line with the Theory of Achievement Motivation by Nicholls (1992), it can be hypothesized as there is a negative relationship between ego orientation and sports ethics. Meanwhile, Isogai et al. (2003) in his study "A Cross-cultural Analysis of Goal Orientation in America and Japanese Physical Education Students' identified the similarities and differences in goal orientation among Physical Education college students in Japan and the United States. The findings showed that Japanese participants scored high in Ego orientation and individual orientation but scored lower in Task orientation and social orientation compared with American participants. Strictly speaking, although Task oriented athlete who also is competitive up to a level, however his or her nature and understanding of competition challenge would be contrary to what is perceived by the Ego oriented athlete. Task oriented athletes will define success in the context of self improvement, effort, cooperation, learning from mistakes and so forth. While Ego oriented athletes will define success by winning (if possible with minimal effort) and show a high ability to others. An athlete can also have two orientations, more than others or no one of them (Fox et al., 1994). 3.
Methodology
For this study, a purposive sample of 80 young golfers, comprising 62 male and 18 female players became the respondents. They are young golfers in the age group of 16 to 18 years and are national youth golfers who have been chosen to participate in golf tournament sponsored by the National Youth Circuit, National Sports Council, Sportexel and Milo. The researcher used Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionaire (Duda and Nicholls 1992), which had been modified for this study. In pilot study, the researcher obtained 35 samples consisting of athletes in the school district between the ages of 15 to 17 years (males and females). Cronbach alpha for the two constructs in TEOSQ instrument were 0.83 (Ego construct) and 0.57 (Task construct). Descriptive and inferential statistic were used to analyze the data. 4. Result of the Study Table 1 displayed the distribution of the mean and standard deviation for Goal orientation according to Nett score achievement. The mean score of athletes with low and moderate Nett scores has higher mean scores (mean = 4.08, SD =. 58 and mean = 4.30, SD =. 42) compared with athletes with high Nett score (mean = 3.80, SD =. 69). Table 2 showed the mean scores of Task orientation and Ego orientation according to Gross score achievement. It showed that golfers with low and moderate Gross scores obtained higher mean (mean = 4.08, SD = .58 and mean= 4.13 , SD =. 37) than golfer with higher Gross score (mean =3.99, SD =. 69). Table 3 and 4 showed the result of correlation analysis between Goal orientation and achievement. It showed that H2b (r=-.299, p=.007) were rejected while H1a (r=.039, p=.734), H1b (r=.053,p=.644) and H2a (r=-.116, p=.306) were accepted. This means there was a significant correlation between Ego orientation and Nett score achievement. However, there are no correlations between Task, Ego orientation and Gross score achievement as well as between Task orientation and Nett score achievement.
Rohaty Majzub and Tajul Ariffin Muhammad / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 1644–1649
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Table 1. Mean scores of Goal orientation according to Gross score achievement Variable Goal orientation
Task
Low 4.08 (SD=.58)
Achievement Moderate 4.13 (SD=.37)
High 3.99(SD=.69)
Ego
3.50 (SD=.64)
3.39(SD=.50)
3.34(SD=.57)
Subdimension
Table 2. Mean scores of Goal orientation according to Nett score achievement Variable Goal orientation
Task
Low 4.07 (SP=.53)
Achievement Moderate 4.30(SP=.42)
High 3.80(SP=.69)
Ego
3.52 (SP=.60)
3.46(SP=.53)
3.11(SP=.49)
Subdimension
Table 3. Correlation between Goal orientation and Gross score achievement Sub hypothesis (SH)
Gross score achievement
r and p values
1a
Task
.039 (p =.734)
1b
Ego
.053= (.644)
Note Not significant Not significant
Resut SH 1a accepted SH 1b accepted
Table 4. Correlation between Goal orientation and Nett score achievement Sub hypothesis (SH) 2a
Net score achievement Task
r and p values
Note
Resut
-.116(p =.306)
Not significant
SH2a accepted
2b
Ego
-.299 (p =.007)
Significant (low)
SH 2b rejected
5. Discussion Goal orientation has two sub-dimensions namely Task Orientation and Ego Orientation. The junior golfers with low and moderate Nett scores have higher mean scores compared with the golfers with high Nett scores. This means many golfers have not reached a satisfactory performance. They need to learn new skills and practice hard compared with golfers with higher Nett scores. The same situation must also be applied in dimension of Ego orientation. Next, the golfers who achieved a higher gross score need to learn new skills or practice harder than golfers who recorded low and moderate gross scores. Table 1and 2 showed that the mean scores of Task Orientation were always higher than of Ego Orientation. This means junior golfers are more task oriented, which mean they focus more on the acquisition of skills and techniques in the golf sport. The young players are less oriented to win the match, but instead focus on the acquisition of skills and techniques in the game. That implies that the young players are aware of the need to improve especially in the acquisition of skills in golf strokes. This is because there is a variety of punches and fine motor skills to be mastered in order to apply them well while playing. This is a good indication for a brighter future in the sport golf as a high motivation to acquire skills will produce more highly capable golfers. Based on the theoretical perspective of goal orientation by Nicholls (1989), Task oriented athletes are more resilient and able to practice the highest level of motivation to continue to participate in sports because their skills are good. The finding also showed a significant correlation between Ego orientation and nett score achievement. This is because Ego oriented individuals tend to focus on the results of the competition. They are more motivated to demonstrate high ability and avoid showing a low ability. Robert (1992) also agreed that individuals who are high in Ego orientation and perception about their abilities will be more motivated to join competition or contest.
1648
Rohaty Majzub and Tajul Ariffin Muhammad / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 1644–1649 y
j
j
ff
gy
(
)
This study provides recommendation for Sport Education policy, coaches and sport officers, and athletes as follows: i. Parties involved in sports development should complement the knowledge of sports psychology in order to develop a method for learning sport more systematically and effectively. ii. Setting realistic goals will result in success and not frustration or withdrawal from the sport. iii. Understanding athletes more deeply is necessary for designing more effective training program. iv. Educators and policy makers should try to improve the golf sport in Malaysia by giving more students and athletes the opportunity to involve in golf sport and providing appropriate training program. v. Sport coaches and officers need to equip themselves with deep knowledge in psychology to help athletes improve their performance. vi. Athletes must have an appropriate goal setting and personal rewards as a good strategy to increase the motivation to succeed in sport. vii. Athletes should put the acquisition of skills as the primary goal of their participation in sports and also be consistent with the universal aspirations of athletes (Duda 1989). viii. Athletes need the skill of effective cognitive restructuring. This skill allows the athlete to change negative attitudes to positive one or hinder the negative emotion from spreading in their thinking. ix. Athletes should be given the imagery skill or mental rehearsal so that the mental preparation before the competition becomes stronger and improve their self-confidence. 6. Conclusion The effectiveness of a sport program does not only require a result-oriented program but also the athletes' perception and evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions made by coaches and sports psychologists. This is because every athlete has a unique distinction in connection with performance issues in competition. Perception of ability and success of the athletes themselves are important because it involves the commitment of the athletes on training, participation in mental health education and continuously involve in the program despite the absence of the coach and psychologist. Integrated principles of biomechanics, physiology and nervous system in coordinating the movement need the involvement of psychological factor. Mental training is the most effective way to improve the psychological aspect. This study suggests that future study should include qualitative studies in addition to quantitative methods to ensure a deep understanding of athlete’s thought during competition. It is suggested that future research has bigger samples of athletes from all levels and abilities (amateur to professional level). Experimental studies can also be conducted to look into the effectiveness of intervention programs and athlete training. Comparative study between local amateur and profesional golfers or between countries is also important to assess the mental and psychological strength of athletes at international level. References Anshel, M.H. (1997). Sport psychology from theory to practice. Scottsdale, Arizona: Gorsuch Scarisbrick Publishers. Bandura, A., Adams, N.E. & Beyer, J. (1977). Cognitive processes mediating behavioural change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 29-139. Biddle, S. 2001. Enhancing motivation in physical education. Dlm. Roberts,G.C. (2001). Advances in motivation in sport and exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Boutcher, S.H. (1990). The role of performance routine in sport. Dlm. J.G. Jones & L. Hardy. (pnyt.). Stress and performance in sport, pp 231-245. Chichester, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Carron, A.V. (1994). Group dynamics in sport. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology,18, 1-16. Chaumeton, N. & Duda, J. (1988). Is it how you play or whether you win or lose? The effect of competitive level and situation on coaching behaviors. Journal of Sport Behavior, 11, 155-174. Creswell, J.W. (1994). Research design: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. London: Sage Publications Duda, J. L. 1989. Goal perspectives, participation, and persistence in sports. International Journal of Sports Psychology, 20(1), 42-56. Duda, J.L. & Nicholls, J.G. (1992). Dimension of achievement motivation in schoolwork and sport. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84: 290299. Georgiadis, M., Biddle, S.J. & Auwaleele, Y.V. (2001). Cognitive, emotional and behavioral connotations of task and ego goal orientation profiles: An ideographic approach using hierarchical class analysis. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 32: 1-20. Gill, D.L. (2000). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise. Edisi ke-2. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Hardy, L. (1990). A catastrophe model of anxiety and performance. Dlm. J. T. Jones & L. Hardy. (pnyt.). Stress and performance in sport, hlm. 81106. Chichester, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Isogai H, Brewer B.W, Cornelius A.E, Etnier J., & Tokunaga M. (2003). A cross-cultural
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analysis. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 34: 80-93. Martens, R., Vealey, R.S. & Burton, D. (1990). Competitive anxiety in sport. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Maehr, M.L. & Nicholls, J.G. (1980). Culture and achievement motivation: A second look. Dlm. N. Warren. (pnyt.). Studies in cross-cultural psychology. New York: Academic Press. Mohd Majid Konting. (1990). Kaedah penyelidikan pendidikan. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka. Morales, R. (2009). Towards an intelligent environment for distance learning. World Journal on Educational Technology, 1(2).110-118. Nicholls, J.G. (1989). The Competitive ethos and democratic education. Cambridge, M.A: Harvard University Press. Nicholls, J.G. (1992). The general and the specific in the development and expression of achievement motivation. Dlm. G.C. Roberts. (pnyt.). Motivation in sport and exercise, hlm. 31-56. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Nideffer, R.M. 1995b. Test of attentional and interpersonal style revised. New Berlin, WI: Assessment Systems International. Robert, G.C. (1992). Motivation in sport and exercise: Conceptual constraint. Dlm. G. C. Roberts. (pnyt.). Motivation in sport and exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Sekaran, Uma. (1992). Research methods for business: a skill building approach. Edisi ke-2. Chitester, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Tella, A., Tella, A., & Adeniyi, O. (2009). Locus of control, interest in schooling, self-efficacy and academic achievement. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 4(3), 168-182. Wann, D.L. (1997). Sport psychology. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Weinberg, R.S. & Gould, D. (1999). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Edisi ke-2. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Vealey, R. S. (1986). Conceptualization of sport-confidence and competitive orientation: Preliminary investigation and instrument development. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology ,8, 221-346.
Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 1644–1649
WCES-2011
Goal Orientation and Achievement of Junior in Golfers Malaysia Rohaty Majzub a* , Tajul Ariffin Muhammad a 1
b
2
*
Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Abstract Sports psychology plays a vital role in contributing to the performance of an athlete. This research examined the level of goal orientation towards the performance of the Junior Golfers in Malaysia and its relationship with their achievement. Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaires (TEOSQ) was administered to measure goal orientation aspects. A purposive sample of 80 junior golfers who participated in the 2002 national junior golf circuit was employed for this study. The findings showed that Junior Golfers were more Task orientated rather than Ego oriented. There was a significant correlation between Ego Orientation and Nett Score Achievement. However, there were no correlations between Task, Ego Orientation and Gross Score Achievement as well as between Task orientation and Nett Score Achievement. The findings of this study has implications to education policy, sports trainers and athletes. It is recommended that future studies examine a larger sample of Golfers from different levels or athletes from different types of sport. Qualitative research should be conducted in addition to quantitative research to get a deeper understanding of the athletes’ thoughts during competition. A comparative study between psychological profiles of Malaysian athletes and other successful international athletes is also recommended. Keywords: Goal orientation; Task Orientation; Ego orientation; Nett score achievement; Gross score achievement
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 1.
Introduction
Golf sport is increasingly popular within Malaysian society today. Golf is not only a sport competition, but also important in developing social relationship, health and economy. Estimation of active golfers in Malaysia until the year 2020 is more than 450.000 people. Golf is a sport that is often recommended by corporations for business purposes and generating funds for charitable projects in the country. It is a sport that could attract tourists to come to this country. In addition, Malaysia has more than 203 golf courses as well as suitable weather that allow golf to be played almost throughout the year. Mental aspect is an integral part that exists in a competitive athlete including Golf players. An athlete should maintain an appropriate level of mental health to enable him to perform at optimal level in line with the existing potential (Anshel, 1997). To achieve this goal, psychological factors such as goal orientation, concentration and anxiety must be well controlled to produce the best performance. When the competition becomes more intense, greater mental resilience is required because motor skills gaps among athletes today are getting smaller. Success and failure in sports, especially golf is often associated with motivation, attention and arousal (Wann 1997). Thus, the mental preparation for athletes before and during the competition is very important. 2 Rohaty Majzub. Tel.:+60193813740 ; fax:+6 03 89254372 E-mail address: [email protected] .
1877–0428 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.03.346
Rohaty Majzub and y Tajul Ariffi j n Muhammad j ff / Procedia Social and gyBehavioral Sciences ( ) 15 (2011) 1644–1649
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1.1 Statement of problem In Malaysia, psychological aspect and mental preparation of an athlete is still not given much attention before competing in international level. Insufficient service from sport psychologists in many sport associations in Malaysia shows that this mental and psychological aspect is not given serious attention by the related parties. There is not enough psychological training for all athletes in order to improve their mental strength. When they are defeated in competition, there is no scientific research analysis or detailed report on that particular part, except only general report in local newspaper. This shows that research or documentation in sport psychology is still lacking in Malaysia. Goal orientation is a determinant factor of athlete’s success in sport. Maehr and Nichcolls (1980) argued that the perception of success or failure will affect one’s goal orentation. The diverse environment and culture will also influence the type of goal set for the competition. The research on goal orientation and achievement were usually conducted in Western countries but many researches in Malaysia still focus on learning styles and academic achievement. Therefore, sport research in diverse cultural country like Malaysia needs to be conducted in order to improve athletes’ performance and sport management as a whole. This paper aimed to measure the level of goal orientation of Junior Golfers in Malaysia and its relationship with their achievement. 1.1.1 Research questions This study has been designed to address to these research questions: 1. What is the level of goal orientation according to the achievement of Junior Golfers? 2. Is there a corellation between Junior Golfers’ goal orientation and achievement? 1.1.1.1 Hypothesis This study was to test 4 null hypothesis Ho1: There is no correlation between nett score achievement and goal orientation Sub H0 1a: Sub H 0 1b:
There is no correlation between nett score achievement and Task goal orientation There is no correlation between nett score achievement and Ego goal orientation
H 0 2: There is no correlation between gross score achievement and goal orientation Subs H0 2a: Sub H0 2b:
There is no correlation between gross score achievement and Task goal orientation There is no correlation between gross score achievement and Ego goal orientation
2. Review of Literature Achievements in the context of this study refers to the match score at two golf tournaments, each tournament is played in two days. Gross score is calculated based on the number of strokes of a player in a two-day accumulation. The lower the number of blows shows greater achievement. Nett score is calculated based on the number after being subtracted by handicap strokes. Nett score in the first and second day will be added to determine the winner. Lower net score indicates better performance. Goals refers to a specific level of efficiency at the appointed time. According to Gill (2000), the purpose of a person involved in a physical activity is to achieve victory and achieve the objectives. In this study, the athlete’s goal is reviewed from the perspective of Task and Ego goal orientation. Goal orientation may also be a determining factor to the success of athletes in a sport competition. This statement was supported by) who stated that the will affect the goals of a person who has a different culture. Nicholls (1989) suggested that perception of individual goals is consistent with the notion of the meaning and the commission he or she receives in an activity. Perception of
1646
Rohaty Majzub and Tajul Ariffin Muhammad / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 1644–1649
success and failure and diverse cultural environment will also affect the types of goals to be achieved in the competition (Maehr and Nicholls, 1980). Task oriented individuals tend to focus on increasing skill level. They tend to follow the rules, while playing ethical and work together to achieve a goal. It means that they focus on the process rather than just the result of a successful task (Roberts, 1992). What is important to Task oriented athletes are 'how they play the game' and not 'whether they win or lose." In other words, engaging in meaningful tasks that a person will focus on mastering the task rather than the result (Roberts, 1992; Tella, Tella & Adeniyi, 2009; Morales, 2009). Ego oriented individuals tend to focus on the results of the competition. They are more motivated to demonstrate a high ability and avoid showing a low ability. The victory in the competition is the best way to show their abilities. Nicholls (1992) stated that individuals with high ego orientation show high level of effort and perseverance in sports. Instead, the ones who have low Ego orientation may withdraw from the sport (Duda, 1992). Roberts (1992) also agreed that individuals who are high in Ego orientation and perception about their abilities will be more motivated to join competition or contest. Georgiadis et al. (2001) in his study of cricket players who have high Task orientation showed better adaptation to improve their performance. In another study, Chaumeton and Duda (1998) found a positive correlation between the level of involvement and Ego orientation in sport. This study, conducted on basketball players and coaches, showed Ego orientation increased from primary to secondary school. From this finding, in line with the Theory of Achievement Motivation by Nicholls (1992), it can be hypothesized as there is a negative relationship between ego orientation and sports ethics. Meanwhile, Isogai et al. (2003) in his study "A Cross-cultural Analysis of Goal Orientation in America and Japanese Physical Education Students' identified the similarities and differences in goal orientation among Physical Education college students in Japan and the United States. The findings showed that Japanese participants scored high in Ego orientation and individual orientation but scored lower in Task orientation and social orientation compared with American participants. Strictly speaking, although Task oriented athlete who also is competitive up to a level, however his or her nature and understanding of competition challenge would be contrary to what is perceived by the Ego oriented athlete. Task oriented athletes will define success in the context of self improvement, effort, cooperation, learning from mistakes and so forth. While Ego oriented athletes will define success by winning (if possible with minimal effort) and show a high ability to others. An athlete can also have two orientations, more than others or no one of them (Fox et al., 1994). 3.
Methodology
For this study, a purposive sample of 80 young golfers, comprising 62 male and 18 female players became the respondents. They are young golfers in the age group of 16 to 18 years and are national youth golfers who have been chosen to participate in golf tournament sponsored by the National Youth Circuit, National Sports Council, Sportexel and Milo. The researcher used Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionaire (Duda and Nicholls 1992), which had been modified for this study. In pilot study, the researcher obtained 35 samples consisting of athletes in the school district between the ages of 15 to 17 years (males and females). Cronbach alpha for the two constructs in TEOSQ instrument were 0.83 (Ego construct) and 0.57 (Task construct). Descriptive and inferential statistic were used to analyze the data. 4. Result of the Study Table 1 displayed the distribution of the mean and standard deviation for Goal orientation according to Nett score achievement. The mean score of athletes with low and moderate Nett scores has higher mean scores (mean = 4.08, SD =. 58 and mean = 4.30, SD =. 42) compared with athletes with high Nett score (mean = 3.80, SD =. 69). Table 2 showed the mean scores of Task orientation and Ego orientation according to Gross score achievement. It showed that golfers with low and moderate Gross scores obtained higher mean (mean = 4.08, SD = .58 and mean= 4.13 , SD =. 37) than golfer with higher Gross score (mean =3.99, SD =. 69). Table 3 and 4 showed the result of correlation analysis between Goal orientation and achievement. It showed that H2b (r=-.299, p=.007) were rejected while H1a (r=.039, p=.734), H1b (r=.053,p=.644) and H2a (r=-.116, p=.306) were accepted. This means there was a significant correlation between Ego orientation and Nett score achievement. However, there are no correlations between Task, Ego orientation and Gross score achievement as well as between Task orientation and Nett score achievement.
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Table 1. Mean scores of Goal orientation according to Gross score achievement Variable Goal orientation
Task
Low 4.08 (SD=.58)
Achievement Moderate 4.13 (SD=.37)
High 3.99(SD=.69)
Ego
3.50 (SD=.64)
3.39(SD=.50)
3.34(SD=.57)
Subdimension
Table 2. Mean scores of Goal orientation according to Nett score achievement Variable Goal orientation
Task
Low 4.07 (SP=.53)
Achievement Moderate 4.30(SP=.42)
High 3.80(SP=.69)
Ego
3.52 (SP=.60)
3.46(SP=.53)
3.11(SP=.49)
Subdimension
Table 3. Correlation between Goal orientation and Gross score achievement Sub hypothesis (SH)
Gross score achievement
r and p values
1a
Task
.039 (p =.734)
1b
Ego
.053= (.644)
Note Not significant Not significant
Resut SH 1a accepted SH 1b accepted
Table 4. Correlation between Goal orientation and Nett score achievement Sub hypothesis (SH) 2a
Net score achievement Task
r and p values
Note
Resut
-.116(p =.306)
Not significant
SH2a accepted
2b
Ego
-.299 (p =.007)
Significant (low)
SH 2b rejected
5. Discussion Goal orientation has two sub-dimensions namely Task Orientation and Ego Orientation. The junior golfers with low and moderate Nett scores have higher mean scores compared with the golfers with high Nett scores. This means many golfers have not reached a satisfactory performance. They need to learn new skills and practice hard compared with golfers with higher Nett scores. The same situation must also be applied in dimension of Ego orientation. Next, the golfers who achieved a higher gross score need to learn new skills or practice harder than golfers who recorded low and moderate gross scores. Table 1and 2 showed that the mean scores of Task Orientation were always higher than of Ego Orientation. This means junior golfers are more task oriented, which mean they focus more on the acquisition of skills and techniques in the golf sport. The young players are less oriented to win the match, but instead focus on the acquisition of skills and techniques in the game. That implies that the young players are aware of the need to improve especially in the acquisition of skills in golf strokes. This is because there is a variety of punches and fine motor skills to be mastered in order to apply them well while playing. This is a good indication for a brighter future in the sport golf as a high motivation to acquire skills will produce more highly capable golfers. Based on the theoretical perspective of goal orientation by Nicholls (1989), Task oriented athletes are more resilient and able to practice the highest level of motivation to continue to participate in sports because their skills are good. The finding also showed a significant correlation between Ego orientation and nett score achievement. This is because Ego oriented individuals tend to focus on the results of the competition. They are more motivated to demonstrate high ability and avoid showing a low ability. Robert (1992) also agreed that individuals who are high in Ego orientation and perception about their abilities will be more motivated to join competition or contest.
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Rohaty Majzub and Tajul Ariffin Muhammad / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 15 (2011) 1644–1649 y
j
j
ff
gy
(
)
This study provides recommendation for Sport Education policy, coaches and sport officers, and athletes as follows: i. Parties involved in sports development should complement the knowledge of sports psychology in order to develop a method for learning sport more systematically and effectively. ii. Setting realistic goals will result in success and not frustration or withdrawal from the sport. iii. Understanding athletes more deeply is necessary for designing more effective training program. iv. Educators and policy makers should try to improve the golf sport in Malaysia by giving more students and athletes the opportunity to involve in golf sport and providing appropriate training program. v. Sport coaches and officers need to equip themselves with deep knowledge in psychology to help athletes improve their performance. vi. Athletes must have an appropriate goal setting and personal rewards as a good strategy to increase the motivation to succeed in sport. vii. Athletes should put the acquisition of skills as the primary goal of their participation in sports and also be consistent with the universal aspirations of athletes (Duda 1989). viii. Athletes need the skill of effective cognitive restructuring. This skill allows the athlete to change negative attitudes to positive one or hinder the negative emotion from spreading in their thinking. ix. Athletes should be given the imagery skill or mental rehearsal so that the mental preparation before the competition becomes stronger and improve their self-confidence. 6. Conclusion The effectiveness of a sport program does not only require a result-oriented program but also the athletes' perception and evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions made by coaches and sports psychologists. This is because every athlete has a unique distinction in connection with performance issues in competition. Perception of ability and success of the athletes themselves are important because it involves the commitment of the athletes on training, participation in mental health education and continuously involve in the program despite the absence of the coach and psychologist. Integrated principles of biomechanics, physiology and nervous system in coordinating the movement need the involvement of psychological factor. Mental training is the most effective way to improve the psychological aspect. This study suggests that future study should include qualitative studies in addition to quantitative methods to ensure a deep understanding of athlete’s thought during competition. It is suggested that future research has bigger samples of athletes from all levels and abilities (amateur to professional level). Experimental studies can also be conducted to look into the effectiveness of intervention programs and athlete training. Comparative study between local amateur and profesional golfers or between countries is also important to assess the mental and psychological strength of athletes at international level. References Anshel, M.H. (1997). Sport psychology from theory to practice. Scottsdale, Arizona: Gorsuch Scarisbrick Publishers. Bandura, A., Adams, N.E. & Beyer, J. (1977). Cognitive processes mediating behavioural change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 29-139. Biddle, S. 2001. Enhancing motivation in physical education. Dlm. Roberts,G.C. (2001). Advances in motivation in sport and exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Boutcher, S.H. (1990). The role of performance routine in sport. Dlm. J.G. Jones & L. Hardy. (pnyt.). Stress and performance in sport, pp 231-245. Chichester, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Carron, A.V. (1994). Group dynamics in sport. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology,18, 1-16. Chaumeton, N. & Duda, J. (1988). Is it how you play or whether you win or lose? The effect of competitive level and situation on coaching behaviors. Journal of Sport Behavior, 11, 155-174. Creswell, J.W. (1994). Research design: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. London: Sage Publications Duda, J. L. 1989. Goal perspectives, participation, and persistence in sports. International Journal of Sports Psychology, 20(1), 42-56. Duda, J.L. & Nicholls, J.G. (1992). Dimension of achievement motivation in schoolwork and sport. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84: 290299. Georgiadis, M., Biddle, S.J. & Auwaleele, Y.V. (2001). Cognitive, emotional and behavioral connotations of task and ego goal orientation profiles: An ideographic approach using hierarchical class analysis. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 32: 1-20. Gill, D.L. (2000). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise. Edisi ke-2. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Hardy, L. (1990). A catastrophe model of anxiety and performance. Dlm. J. T. Jones & L. Hardy. (pnyt.). Stress and performance in sport, hlm. 81106. Chichester, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Isogai H, Brewer B.W, Cornelius A.E, Etnier J., & Tokunaga M. (2003). A cross-cultural
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