GOALS / 004 [WHY DOES LOSING HURT MORE IN SOME TEAMS THAN OTHERS?]

Question
Does the way competition is framed change what losing does to you?

Study
104 students rode two eight minute races on an exercise bike against what they thought was another student. Half were told the competition was about effort and personal improvement. The other half were told it was about beating their opponent. Without them knowing, the researchers decided who won and who lost by adjusting the distance shown on screen.

Findings
Overall, riders in the improvement setting rode further and felt more interest and energy. Losers in that setting stayed motivated and kept riding well. In the beat your opponent setting, it was different: losers put in the least effort in the second race, rode less far than the winners and felt the least energy of all groups. Winners in that setting did fine.

What It Means for Athletes
Competition itself is not the problem. A climate that is all about beating others makes losing hit much harder, while a focus on effort and improvement acts as a buffer. Because this was an experiment, it shows cause and effect, but it was a short bike task with students, not a real match.

Try this: before your next match, agree on two or three goals with your coach or team that you control yourself, like "press as a unit for the full 90 minutes". After the match, evaluate those goals first, and only then the score.

Source
Reinboth, M., & Duda, J. L. (2016). Effects of competitive environment and outcome on achievement behaviors and well-being while engaged in a physical task. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 5(4), pp. 324 to 336.

BEHIND THE SCIENCE
Translating sports science into information athletes can actually use.