The Impact of Pre-Competition Estimated Results for Elite Archers on Performance According to Achievement Goal Theory

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the estimated/judged results for elite archers before competitions in the context of
Achievement Goal Theory and determine its impact on actual performance. Also, the study assessed the impact of
goal orientation on the competition scores to comprehend the relationship between goal orientation and performance.
Study participants were 116 elite archers who participated in Adult-Youth Indoor Turkey Championship in Izmir.
Before the competition, the participants filled in the “Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire”. Before this
scale, a survey form, developed by the researcher, was given to participants to learn about their personal
characteristics. The participants were asked to make a note of the numbers they wore on the chest of their uniforms
and the predicted/judged scores on the survey form. They were informed that at the termination of the competition,
their actual scores and their predicted scores would be compared. The study presents two important results. The first
result is related to the fact that athletes with high goal orientation were significantly more successful than those with
low goal orientation in a real competition environment. The other result of in the current study was the significant
relationship between the pre-competition predictions/estimates of individuals with high goal orientation and their
competition performances. This study is significant because it demonstrated that individuals with higher goal
orientations have higher performances and that their predictions/estimates for their performance are much more
accurate.