The Role of Positive and Negative Feedback in Adolescent Athletes from the Perspective of Sport Psychology
Chapter from the book:
Bayrakdar,
A.
(ed.)
2025.
Current Research from the Perspective of Sport Psychology.
Synopsis
This study examines the effects of positive and negative feedback on adolescent athletes from a sport psychology perspective. Feedback serves as a fundamental learning tool in motor skill acquisition and performance enhancement. Adolescence is a critical period marked by identity formation and the development of self-efficacy; therefore, the quality of feedback plays a vital role in this stage. Positive feedback strengthens athletes’ self-confidence, intrinsic motivation, and willingness to learn, whereas poorly delivered negative feedback can lead to anxiety and decreased motivation. The study discusses verbal, visual, and auditory feedback forms and analyzes their effectiveness concerning timing, frequency, and content. It also emphasizes the role of intrinsic and extrinsic feedback in supporting motor learning processes. The findings highlight that effective feedback should be tailored to individual characteristics, sport type, and environmental context. In conclusion, feedback is not only a means for technical improvement but also an essential pedagogical tool for fostering psychological resilience and sustained sport participation among adolescent athletes.
