Strategies to develop approach behaviours leading to improvements in…

The idea

Achievement motivation theory distinguishes the motive to approach success from the motive to avoid failure. Approach behaviour means seeking challenging tasks, persisting after setbacks and taking personal responsibility for outcomes. Strategies to develop it include setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals that the performer owns; arranging progressive success so early tasks are winnable; attributing success to controllable effort and strategy rather than luck; modelling confident performers; and giving feedback that rewards persistence and problem-solving. For example, a coach might set a gymnast weekly process goals for a vault, record attempts, and review effort attributions after each session. Over time the performer chooses harder challenges, practises more, and performance improves.

What earns the marks

• Approach behaviour involves seeking challenging tasks, persisting and taking responsibility for outcomes.
• Achievement motivation theory contrasts the motive to approach success with the motive to avoid failure.
• Goal setting that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, and owned by the performer, develops approach tendencies.
• Progressive success and early winnable tasks build confidence to attempt harder challenges.
• Attribution retraining that links success to controllable effort and strategy strengthens approach behaviour.
• Modelling and feedback that reward persistence and problem-solving encourage repeated approach behaviour.
• Sustained approach behaviour increases practice quality and persistence, which supports performance improvement.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating approach behaviour as simply wanting to win.

  Put it right: It is the tendency to seek challenge, persist and take responsibility, not just a desire for victory.

• Assuming praise alone develops approach behaviour.

  Put it right: Feedback must reward controllable effort and strategy, and goals must be owned by the performer.

• Believing approach behaviour is fixed.

  Put it right: It can be developed through goal setting, progressive success and attribution retraining.

• Confusing approach behaviour with high ability.

  Put it right: A less able performer can still show strong approach tendencies through persistence and task choice.

Exam tips

• Link each strategy to the mechanism it changes, such as confidence, attribution or task choice, rather than listing strategies.
• Use a short applied example, such as a swimmer setting weekly process goals, to show how approach behaviour leads to improved performance.
• Check the command word: if asked to explain, give the strategy and the resulting behaviour and performance effect in one chain.