Welcome to Sports Psychology: The Power of Feedback!
Ever wondered why some athletes seem to get better every single time they practice? A big part of that secret is feedback. In Sports Psychology, feedback is simply the information a performer receives about their movement or the outcome of their actions. It is the "bridge" between performing a skill and improving it.
Don’t worry if some of these terms seem similar at first! We’re going to break them down into three easy pairs so you can spot the differences instantly.
1. Where is the information coming from?
This first pair looks at whether the information comes from inside you or outside of you.
Intrinsic Feedback (Internal)
This is the information you get from within yourself. It’s often called the "feel" of a movement. Your muscles and joints send signals to your brain telling you if a movement felt right.
Example: A gymnast performing a handstand can "feel" that their balance is slightly off and adjusts their fingers to stay upright.
Extrinsic Feedback (External)
This is information that comes from an outside source. This could be a coach shouting instructions, a teammate’s comment, or even the sound of the ball hitting the net.
Example: A football coach telling a player, "Keep your head over the ball when you strike it."
Quick Review:
Intrinsic = Inside (The Feel)
Extrinsic = External (Coach/Video/Teammates)
2. What is the information about?
This pair focuses on whether you are looking at the result of the action or the quality of the movement itself.
Knowledge of Results (KR)
This is all about the outcome. Did the ball go in the basket? What was your 100m sprint time? Did you win the point? It is usually factual and based on the end goal.
Example: A long jumper seeing that they jumped 5.2 meters on the scoreboard.
Knowledge of Performance (KP)
This focuses on the technique or the movement pattern. It’s not about whether you scored, but how you moved your body during the attempt.
Example: A swimming coach telling a swimmer that their elbow was too high during the recovery phase of a front crawl stroke.
Did you know?
Beginners often rely more on Knowledge of Results (they just want to know if they hit the target), while elite athletes focus heavily on Knowledge of Performance to perfect their professional technique!
3. What is the "vibe" of the feedback?
The final pair looks at whether the feedback is highlighting what went well or what needs fixing.
Positive Feedback
This tells the performer what was correct about their movement. It is great for motivation and is especially important for beginners to build their confidence.
Example: "Great job! Your follow-through on that tennis serve was perfect!"
Negative Feedback
This tells the performer what was wrong or incorrect about their movement. While it sounds "bad," it is actually very helpful for elite athletes because it tells them exactly what they need to fix to get better.
Example: "Your knees weren't high enough during that sprint drill."
Common Mistake to Avoid:
Don't think of "Negative" feedback as a coach being mean! In Sports Psychology, it just means "corrective" information—pointing out the errors so they can be removed.
Summary Table: The Feedback Checklist
Use this simple table to keep the pairs straight in your head:
The "Source" Pair
1. Intrinsic: From the "feel" inside you.
2. Extrinsic: From a coach or video.
The "Content" Pair
3. Knowledge of Results: The score or outcome.
4. Knowledge of Performance: The technique or movement.
The "Tone" Pair
5. Positive: What went right (Boosts motivation).
6. Negative: What went wrong (Corrects errors).
How to use this in your exam
When you get a question about feedback, follow these three steps to get full marks:
Step 1: Identify the type of feedback mentioned in the scenario.
Step 2: Define that type of feedback clearly.
Step 3: Give a specific sporting example (like the ones in italics above).
Memory Aid Trick:
Think of the word "PIE" to remember the sources and tones:
Positive
Intrinsic
Extrinsic
Key Takeaway
Feedback is essential for learning any skill. Beginners need Positive, Extrinsic feedback and Knowledge of Results to stay motivated and understand the basics. Experts rely more on Intrinsic feedback, Negative (corrective) feedback, and Knowledge of Performance to fine-tune their elite skills.