When we talk about external reinforcement, we're not just referring to any kind of financial or material reward that our family or coaches might give us for doing very well during training or achieving an important result in a competition. We also have to consider any kind of social gratification or recognition as external reinforcement. For example, a pat on the back from the coach after a good result, a hug and smile from parents when you've won a competition in your category, an article in the local newspaper after your victory in the Spanish championship, or a shout of "Let's go!" from a teammate when you've just sunk a 6-meter putt for a birdie on a hole...
Diverse motivations
Due to your young age, since you are not yet part of professional sports, your level of intrinsic motivation should be above your level of extrinsic motivation so that you can make sport a habit and it provides you with physical and psychological benefits.
To understand the type of motivation that predominates in each of you, you should place on opposite ends of a scale all the reasons that led you to choose and practice golf, differentiating between internal reasons (those that are within you) and external reasons (those that are outside of you).
Among the internal reasons we could mention: spending time with teammates, having fun, mastering the swing, the competitiveness that the sport entails, the challenge of achieving different goals in training, enjoying the environment in which golf is practiced…
On the other hand, and within the external reasons, there would be all those that can be considered as material prizes (trophies, sports equipment, financial remuneration,…) or as social reinforcers or prizes (hugs, applause, shouts of encouragement, gestures of affection, pats on the back, celebrations…).
In your case, which side of the scale do you think would carry more weight? The side where you put internal reasons for practicing this sport, or the side where you put external reasons for playing golf?
Encarna María Lozano Casero
Psychologist specializing in Physical Activity and Sport
