Implicit power motive, affect, and gross-motor skill learning in a contest scenario

Steib S, Rettig-Hiebsch S, Schöttner H, Gabduliyanova A, Theil F, Wanner P, Köllner MG (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Performance Enhancement and Health Elsevier BV

Article Number: 100410

DOI: 10.1016/j.peh.2025.100410

Abstract

The importance of socio-cognitive-affective factors in motor skill learning has received increasing attention over the past two decades. In line with theoretical frameworks, previous studies in sports contexts have demonstrated that positive affect facilitates motor skill acquisition. However, there is a paucity of research regarding the factors that influence affective responses during motor practice. Implicit motives have emerged as a potential factor, with evidence linking motive-congruent environments to enhanced learning outcomes – though mainly in artificial laboratory settings using simple tasks. Here, we examine the associations between implicit motives, affective and hormonal responses, and motor learning in a competitive context by means of an ecologically valid, whole-body balance task. For this, 138 healthy adults participated in a fictitious one-on-one competition to practice a novel balancing task. We found that winning or losing did not directly affect task performance or learning, but that individuals' affective responses to the competition were associated with learning outcome. As expected, positive valence predicted better motor learning, which was primarily driven by participants who won the competition. Contrary to our hypotheses, the implicit power motive as well as testosterone and estradiol responses did not predict learning outcomes, and interactions between power motive and affective responses showed only a weak trend. Notably, female participants showed stronger responses to competition, highlighting the need to systematically consider biological sex in future research. Our findings highlight the importance of positive affect in motor skill learning and extend previous work to gross motor tasks practiced under competitive conditions.

Authors with CRIS profile

Hanna Schöttner Lehrstuhl für Sportwissenschaft mit dem Schwerpunkt Bewegung und Gesundheit Florence Theil Lehrstuhl für Sportwissenschaft mit dem Schwerpunkt Bewegung und Gesundheit

Involved external institutions

Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg DE Germany (DE) SRH Hochschule Heidelberg DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Steib, S., Rettig-Hiebsch, S., Schöttner, H., Gabduliyanova, A., Theil, F., Wanner, P., & Köllner, M.G. (2026). Implicit power motive, affect, and gross-motor skill learning in a contest scenario. Performance Enhancement and Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peh.2025.100410

MLA:

Steib, Simon, et al. "Implicit power motive, affect, and gross-motor skill learning in a contest scenario." Performance Enhancement and Health (2026).

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