Evaluating current and popular theories: Motivation in relation to achievement in sport. BY PAUL BRANNAGAN WEEK BEGINING: 8TH DECEMBER 2008 This paper will be critically evaluating current and popular motivational theories in relation to the achievement in sport._ The main theories that this paper will be reviewing is first of all self-determination theory and second of all cognitive evaluation theory. This paper will be diving deep into popular theories from well-known researchers in order to discover how these two theories tie into achievement in sport._ Arguably motivation in sport has been very miss-understood, there are many types of motivational methods used by coaches and managers in sport, Roberts (1992) found that there was a mistake made by many coaches when trying to motivate their players/athletes, the idea that motivating sports performers by showing aggression and emotion is conceived as motivating them to play or perform better during competition. Arousal and motivation do not always go hand in hand, although arousal and emotional approaches may have some affect on the performers, this is not to say that it is having the effect of motivation that is perceived. Sports performers like everybody else are likely to react in very different ways to each other, Roberts (1992) also suggests that another common mistake made by coaches is that of ‘positive thinking’, many coaches will use this as a way of motivating players in a difficult situation, like for example a low table football team who are being given the impression they can finish in the top six, realistic expectations have to prevail, there are many difficulties in sport that cannot be overcome simply by effort of expectancy, this is why it is important to be realistic or else the performers will show frustration rather than improved performance. One other common mistake made by coaches is their view to motivation in sport that some people are born motivated and some just simply are not,...