ABSTRACT
Task orientation describes the position and direction of someone who strives to improve their SKILL or overall proficiency, while ego orientation is characteristic of those who organize their thoughts and behavior on developing the appearance of competence and protecting their ego. The Latin orient, meaning rising, or east, is the most likely source for the contemporary verb to orient, for aligning, or finding one’s position, and the noun ‘‘orientation.’’ When an individual utilizes a task orientation, ‘‘perceptions of
ABILITY are self-referenced; improving one’s performance or performing better than one had expected results in feelings of competence and perceived success,’’ Dawn Stephens concludes from her study of female soccer players. ‘‘In contrast, an individual utilizing an ego orientation will use a normative reference for perceptions of ability and success; the individual’s FOCUS is on demonstrating superior ability in relation to others.’’ Using personal standards of success, the former typically focus on
long-term goals, while the latter, measuring success by comparison with others, employ short-term goals. Task and ego involvement refer to the corresponding goal states. Among the most frequently used instruments in measuring these is
the Task-and-Ego-Orientation in Sport Questionnaire and the Perceptions of Success Questionnaire.
