DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0000000000005568 ISSN: 1064-8011
Motivation Unraveled: Paradoxical Effects of Positive Feedback in Basketball Players
Anne Benjaminse, Eline M. Nijmeijer, Alli Gokeler Abstract
Benjaminse A, Nijmeijer EM, and Gokeler A. Motivation unraveled: paradoxical effects of positive feedback in basketball players.
J Strength Cond Res
XX(X): 000–000, 2026—Anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention often involves corrective feedback, which can negatively affect player motivation and motor learning. A practice situation with enhanced expectancies (EE) may increase intrinsic motivation and confidence and herewith, self-efficacy. This study investigated the impact of social-comparative feedback during a basketball cutting maneuver. A randomized controlled trial with 2 groups of male basketball players (EE,
n
= 14, age = 22.4 ± 5.5 years, height = 188.9 ± 9.2 cm, mass = 83.3 ± 11.3 kg and control (CTRL),
n
= 14, age = 22.3 ± 5.2 years, height = 189.2 ± 8.6 cm, mass = 82.6 ± 11.0 kg) was conducted. All players received veridical feedback during training. In addition, the EE group received false positive comparative feedback. ANOVAs were used to calculate differences between groups with the alpha set at ɑ 0.05 a priori. EE group players had lower expectations (53.0 ± 10.3 vs. 59.5 ± 10.6,
p
= 0.006), enjoyed the task less (2.9 ± 1.4 vs. 3.8 ± 1.2,
p
= 0.004), but had greater satisfaction (4.2 ± 1.4 vs. 2.9 ± 1.4,
p
= 0.017) about their score. This suggests that while EE may increase satisfaction, it can also increase performance pressure, which may hinder enjoyment and ultimately impair optimal skill development. The study highlights the complex interplay between feedback, motivation, and motor learning in anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention.