Expectancy Theory posits that motivation depends on which factors?

• A. Expectancy, instrumentality, and valence.
• B. Ability, willingness, and opportunity.
• C. Effort, performance, and reward.
• D. Need, drive, and reinforcement.

Answer: (A)

Motivation is determined by three beliefs about how effort, performance, and outcomes are connected: expectancy, the belief that effort will lead to a certain level of performance; instrumentality, the belief that this performance will lead to a specific outcome; and valence, the value placed on that outcome. When a person believes that putting in effort will improve performance, believes that good performance will be rewarded, and values the reward, they are more motivated to act. In sport and recreation, you can boost motivation by showing how practice translates into better skills and results (raising expectancy), ensuring that strong performance leads to meaningful rewards (raising instrumentality), and aligning those rewards with what participants value (raising valence). The other options reflect different motivation ideas—such as a focus on capacity and opportunity, a simple effort–performance–reward chain, or needs and reinforcement—but they don’t capture the specific three-belief structure that expectancy theory emphasizes.