Academically Influenced Self-Confidence: The Effects on Expected and Actual Motor Task Performance

Abstract

Confidence and performance are widely examined variables known for their association with one another. This paper investigates the effects that level of confidence, manipulated by two academic tasks, has on expected motor skill performance and actual performance. Results of the study partially confirmed the original hypotheses that when self-confidence is controlled in an academic environment, it has causal effects on expected performances, but no significant effect on actual motor skill performances. However, expected performances did significantly correlate with the actual performances on the motor skill task. Further, the study tests this relationship between undergraduate males and females and discovers an insignificant association. There are several limitations outlined in the discussion section, relating to participant parameters and design of the experiment. Future studies should replicate this experiment using alternate population characteristics and varying academic and motor-task themes.