James R. Ball’s research while affiliated with Cañada College and other places

The present study examined the interactive effects of participation motivation (task, self, and interaction) expressed in early season and successful performance (n = 183) experienced throughout the collegiate hockey season upon satisfaction expressed post-season with individual and team performance. The experimental design consisted of a 2 × 2 factorial comprising two levels of motivation (high vs low) and two levels of success (successful vs unsuccessful). The results indicated that success, motivations, and the various interactions had no effect upon satisfaction with individual performance. Both success and high task-motive resulted in heightened levels of satisfaction in regard to team performance.

The purpose of the study was to examine the direction of causality of both cohesion and participation motivation with performance in intercollegiate hockey. The results supported the conclusion that successful performance results in in creased team cohesiveness; team cohesiveness does not produce more successful performance. The findings for participation motivation were equivocal. There was no indication that high self, task and/or affiliation motivation led to more successful performance or that successful performance increased the level of self, task and/or affiliation motivation.