Impact of outcome orientated goals and task orientated goals.

The idea

Outcome orientated goals and task orientated goals affect performers differently. A performer adopting outcome orientated goals judges success by comparison with others, so effort, persistence and enjoyment depend on how they rank. This can raise effort in favourable competition but may cause anxiety, avoidance of difficult tasks or reduced persistence when defeat seems likely. A performer adopting task orientated goals judges success by personal mastery and improvement, so effort and persistence tend to remain stable across different opponents and results. Task orientated goals are linked with greater enjoyment, sustained participation and willingness to attempt challenging skills. The impact also depends on the motivational climate: a climate emphasising comparison strengthens outcome orientation, while one emphasising personal progress strengthens task orientation.

What earns the marks

• Outcome orientated goals judge success by comparison with others, so motivation can rise or fall with perceived ranking.
• Outcome orientated goals can increase anxiety, avoidance of difficult tasks and reduced persistence when defeat seems likely.
• Task orientated goals judge success by personal mastery and improvement, supporting stable effort and persistence.
• Task orientated goals are linked with greater enjoyment, sustained participation and willingness to attempt challenging skills.
• The motivational climate can strengthen either outcome or task orientation and therefore change the impact on the performer.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Claiming outcome orientated goals always reduce motivation.

  Put it right: They can raise effort in favourable competition but may reduce persistence when defeat seems likely.

• Claiming task orientated goals always produce better results.

  Put it right: They support stable effort and persistence, but outcomes still depend on ability and context.

• Treating the two goal types as mutually exclusive.

  Put it right: A performer can hold both, with the dominant orientation varying by situation.

• Ignoring the motivational climate.

  Put it right: The climate created by teachers, coaches and peers influences which orientation dominates and therefore its impact.

Exam tips

• Compare the two goal types directly using the same behaviour, such as persistence after a loss, to show the contrast.
• Support each impact with a brief scenario, for example a performer who avoids a difficult task when defeat seems likely.
• Use the motivational climate to explain why the same performer may respond differently in two settings.