Autonomy-supportive instructional language does not enhance skill acquisition compared to controlling instructional...

Area of Science:

• Motor learning science
• Sport psychology
• Educational psychology

Background:

• Instructional language is a key component of the OPTIMAL theory for fostering autonomy.
• Autonomy-supportive language is recognized in various fields, but its impact on motor learning instructions is understudied.
• Task instruction wording's role in motor skill acquisition requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of autonomy-supportive versus controlling instructional language on motor skill acquisition.
• To examine the effects of instructional language on perceptions of autonomy, competence, and intrinsic motivation.
• To reconcile findings with predictions from OPTIMAL theory regarding motivational factors and performance.

Main Methods:

• A preregistered experiment with 156 participants learning a speed cup stacking task.
• Two groups received either autonomy-supportive or controlling instructional language during practice.
• Measurements included motor performance (acquisition, retention), perceived autonomy, competence, and intrinsic motivation.

Main Results:

• Autonomy-supportive instructions led to higher perceptions of autonomy.
• No significant group differences were observed in motor performance during acquisition or retention.
• Perceptions of competence and intrinsic motivation did not differ between groups.

Conclusions:

• The study's findings challenge direct predictions of OPTIMAL theory regarding motivational factors' causal influence on motor performance.
• Equivalence testing suggests potential small effects on skill acquisition, possibly below the study's detection power.
• Results underscore the need for larger sample sizes in motor learning research to detect subtle effects.