Effects of motivation on motor performance

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of motivation on motor performance. The population for this study was the male students aged 10 and 11, who live in Bolu, Turkey. The experimental groups were randomly assigned as follows: Control Group (CG), Plyometric Training Group (PTG), Plyometric Training and Verbal Motivation Group (PTVMG), and Plyometric Training, Verbal and Visual Motivation Group (PTVVMG). The study was carried out on 51 subjects (10.14±.35 years), who were assigned into the experimental groups as follows: 12 subjects in each of CG, PTG, and PTVMG, and 15 subjects in PTVVMG. The duration of the study was 8 weeks. Vertical jump and 30 m run tests were applied to the subjects as pre- and post-tests. t-Test was used for pairwise comparisons and ANOVA was used for between-group analyses and p was set at .05 for both statistical methods. While a statistically significant (p<.05) deterioration in speed performance was found between the pre- and post-tests for CG, a significant (p<.05) improvement was found between the scores of PTVMG and PTVVMG. There was a statistically significant (p<.05) improvement only on vertical jump tests of PTVVMG after pre and post tests. According to the results of the variance analysis made to study whether there was any difference among groups, there was no significant difference (p>.05) between the groups in the pre-tests but a statistically significant was found in the post-tests (p<.05). For the vertical jump test, significant differences (p<.05) were found between PTVVMG and CG, and PTVVMG and PTG. Significant differences (p<.05) for the 30 m run test were also found between the CG and PTVMG, and CG and PTVVMG As a result of this study, it can be told that a plyometric training programme supported by verbal and visual motivation could be more effective in the development of motor performance than a plyometric training programme alone.