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Unlock This CourseHave you ever wondered why some people love going to the gym whilst others avoid it like the plague? Or why your mate might be obsessed with football but can't stand swimming? The answer often lies in something psychologists call "competence need" - basically, how good we feel we are at something.
Competence need is one of the three basic psychological needs in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), developed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. It's the human desire to feel effective, capable and skilled in our activities. When it comes to exercise, feeling competent can make the difference between loving your workout and dreading it.
Key Definitions:
When we feel competent at exercise, we're more likely to stick with it. Think about it - if you're rubbish at something, you probably won't want to do it again. But if you feel skilled and capable, you'll be drawn back for more. This creates a positive cycle where practice leads to improvement, which boosts competence, which motivates more practice.
Competence need in exercise isn't just about being the best athlete in the room. It's about feeling that you can handle the challenges presented to you and that you're making progress. This feeling can come from various sources and affects people differently.
People can feel competent in exercise through different experiences and feedback. Understanding these sources helps explain why some activities feel more motivating than others.
Learning new techniques, improving form, or mastering complex movements. For example, finally nailing a proper squat or learning to swim freestyle properly.
Seeing measurable improvements like running faster, lifting heavier weights, or lasting longer in a workout. Apps and fitness trackers often tap into this source.
Receiving praise from coaches, teammates, or friends. This external validation can boost feelings of competence, especially for beginners.
Sarah, 16, hated PE lessons and avoided sports. When she started a "Couch to 5K" programme, she initially felt incompetent - she could barely run for 30 seconds. However, the programme's gradual progression meant she experienced small wins each week. By week 4, she could run for 5 minutes straight. This boost in competence motivated her to continue. Six months later, she completed her first 10K race and now runs regularly. The key was starting at an appropriate level and experiencing consistent progress.
What happens when people don't feel competent in exercise? Unfortunately, this is all too common and can lead to exercise avoidance, low self-esteem and even anxiety around physical activity.
Recognising when competence needs aren't being met is crucial for understanding exercise motivation problems.
Feeling anxious before exercise, embarrassed during activities, or frustrated with lack of progress. People might say things like "I'm just not sporty" or "I'm hopeless at this."
Avoiding exercise altogether, making excuses not to participate, giving up quickly when things get difficult, or only doing activities where they already feel skilled.
The good news is that competence can be developed. Understanding how to build and maintain feelings of competence is essential for long-term exercise motivation.
These strategies can help individuals develop and maintain feelings of competence in exercise settings.
Activities should be challenging enough to be engaging but not so difficult that they're overwhelming. This is called the "optimal challenge zone."
Proper coaching and instruction help people learn correct techniques, reducing frustration and increasing success rates.
Setting specific, measurable, achievable goals provides clear targets and opportunities to experience success.
Coach Williams noticed that several players on his Year 10 football team were losing motivation. Instead of just focusing on match results, he introduced individual skill challenges and progress tracking. Each player set personal goals (like improving their passing accuracy or increasing sprint speed). Training sessions included skill stations where players could master specific techniques. Within a month, attendance improved and players reported feeling more confident. The team's overall performance improved because individual competence increased.
Different types of exercise offer different opportunities for experiencing competence. Understanding these differences helps explain why people gravitate towards certain activities.
The source and nature of competence feelings can vary significantly between individual and team-based activities.
Running, swimming, cycling, weightlifting - competence comes from personal improvement and self-comparison. Progress is often measurable and directly linked to individual effort.
Football, basketball, netball - competence involves both individual skills and team contribution. Success depends on coordination with others and fulfilling specific roles.
How we experience and develop competence in exercise changes throughout our lives. Understanding these developmental differences is crucial for maintaining motivation across different life stages.
Different age groups have varying needs and sources of competence in exercise contexts.
Focus on fun, basic skills and participation rather than competition. Competence comes from learning new movements and being included in activities.
Peer comparison becomes important. Competence often tied to social acceptance and identity formation. Need balance between challenge and success.
Competence often linked to health goals, stress management and personal achievement rather than comparison with others.
A popular fitness app increased user retention by 300% by focusing on competence-building features. Instead of just tracking calories burned, the app celebrated small victories like "completed workout 3 days in a row" or "improved plank time by 10 seconds." Users received badges for consistency, progress and trying new activities. The app also provided beginner-friendly modifications for all exercises, ensuring users could experience success regardless of their starting fitness level. This focus on building competence, rather than just tracking performance, kept users engaged long-term.
How we receive information about our performance significantly impacts our sense of competence. The type, timing and source of feedback can either build or undermine feelings of capability.
Different forms of feedback serve different purposes in building exercise competence.
Provides specific information about performance without judgment. Example: "Your running pace improved by 30 seconds per mile this week." This type builds competence by showing clear progress.
Focuses on external rewards or punishments. Example: "You'll get a prize if you exercise 5 times this week." This can undermine intrinsic motivation and long-term competence development.
Many people face obstacles that prevent them from feeling competent in exercise. Identifying and addressing these barriers is essential for promoting lifelong physical activity.
Understanding these obstacles helps in developing strategies to overcome them.
Worry about what others think can prevent people from trying new activities or exercising in public spaces like gyms.
Setting unrealistic standards can lead to feelings of failure and incompetence, even when making good progress.
Bad experiences in school PE or sports can create lasting beliefs about one's exercise abilities.
Understanding competence need is crucial for developing sustainable exercise habits. When people feel capable and skilled in physical activities, they're more likely to continue participating throughout their lives. The key is creating environments and experiences that foster competence development rather than undermining it.
Remember, competence isn't about being the best - it's about feeling capable and seeing progress. Whether you're a coach, teacher, parent, or someone working on your own fitness journey, focusing on building competence will lead to better long-term outcomes than focusing solely on performance or results.
By understanding how competence need works in exercise contexts, we can create more effective and enjoyable physical activity experiences for everyone, regardless of their starting point or natural ability.