Final Project: Theory Combination and Intervention by

Combined Intervention

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 15:36:40 UTC

Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to discuss how to help a basketball coach rebuild team motivation and improve performance.

Intervention Details

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 15:41:18 UTC

My scenario involves a basketball team on a losing streak, and the players have been vocal on how they believe it's due to weak coaching. The intervention should be at least, in my opinion, a 2-week period involving autonomy-supportive coaching strategies (SDT) and leadership/motivation workshops (SCT) for the coach. This 2-week intervention must be followed by weekly team meetings in order to maintain communication and opportunities for the coach to practice what he learned. After the intervention, the coach should have better knowledge on giving more autonomy-supportive feedback (SDT), should feel confident setting personal/team goals (SCT), and should strive to incorporate team-building activities during and after practices. This approach should help improve intrinsic motivation, and rebuild trust.

Synergies

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 16:06:54 UTC

In my opinion, (SDT) and (SCT) work well together because they both promote intrinsic motivation, increase competence and relatedness, and encourage behavioral learning through the coach's confident actions, and effort encouragement. (SDT) focuses on satisfying the players internal needs for autonomy, while (SCT) focuses on the importance of having and learning from a role model like a coach. The benefits a coach gains when using autonomy specific language (SDT) and setting personal/team goals is having their players feel empowered and create an environment of accountability.

Conflict

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 16:40:35 UTC

While both (SDT) and (SCT) can effectively improve a coach's leadership through an intervention, the two theories can conflict. A prime example of these theories conflicting would be if a coach's behavioral leadership (SCT) becomes too controlling, which directly affects the athlete’s sense of autonomy (SDT). According to Ryan et al. (2009), "When coaches, parents, or fellow players become controlling... they can undermine feelings of competence and autonomy that are the foundations of sustained motivation". This quote echoes my point on how players may feel micromanaged if the coach uses controlling leadership while trying to “correct” behavior. The intervention must have a balance that ensures the coach leads by example without dominating decisions.

Self-Determination Theory (SDT)

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 16:48:41 UTC

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 16:49:01 UTC

Theories

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 16:52:32 UTC

The book's definition for (SDT)

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 17:20:22 UTC

"Self-determination theory argues that competence, autonomy, and relatedness are the three basic human needs and that the degree to which they are satisfied goes a long way in determining an individual’s intrinsic motivation. Therefore, the psychological factors affecting motivation are (1) need for competence (to feel confident and self-efficacious), (2) need for autonomy (to have input into decisions or in some way “own” them), and (3) need for relatedness (to care for others and to have them care for you)." (Chapter 7, pg. 140)

The book's definition for (SCT)

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 17:20:39 UTC

"Social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986, 1997, 2005) proposes that personal, behavioral, and environmental factors operate as reciprocally interacting determinants of each other. In essence, the environment affects behaviors and behaviors affect the environment" (Chapter 19, pg. 465)

(SCT) Research Article

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 17:35:30 UTC

Article: Motivation and Social Cognitive Theory

Authors: Schunk & DiBenedetto (2020)

Verbatim Quotes: 1) “Motivated actions depended heavily on expected positive consequences for performing modeled actions.” 2) “Observing a successful performance can raise observers’ self-efficacy, whereas observed failures can lower it.”

(SCT) Research Article Summary

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 17:36:28 UTC

This article does a full breakdown of how motivation works in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. It explains what affects someone’s motivation, like the goals they set, and how much confidence (self-efficacy) they have, and how it affects their autonomy. In addition, it explains how people learn by watching others (called modeling), and how watching someone succeed can make you believe you can succeed too.

(SDT) Research Article

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 17:43:22 UTC

Article: Self-Determination Theory and Physical Activity: The Dynamics of Motivation in Development and Wellness

Authors: Ryan, Williams, Patrick & Deci (2009)

Verbatim Quotes: 1) “When coaches, parents, or fellow players become controlling or critical... they can undermine feelings of competence and autonomy that are the foundations of sustained motivation.” 2) “Only activities that satisfy certain basic psychological needs will be experienced as interests and be intrinsically motivated.”

(SDT) Research Article Summary

jcint014 — 2025-06-18 18:01:01 UTC

This article is a summary of how Self-Determination Theory works in sports. It explains the three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The authors explain how these 3 needs show up in sports. For example, when a coach supports a player’s autonomy and gives helpful feedback it tends to improve player's motivation. In contrast, if coaches are too controlling, that can negatively affect the player's motivation to play. In addition, the article also discusses different types of motivation: intrinsic (doing something because it’s fun) vs. extrinsic (doing it for a reward).