Understanding the Importance of Intrinsic Motivation: An Analysis of Intrinsic Motivation and Positive Student Athlete Experience Integration
Author: Rutledge, Michael E., II
Date: 2019-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Athletes,African American Students,Males,Academic Persistence,Student Experience,Educational Attainment,Graduate Study,Self Determination,College Graduates,Young Adults,Social Influences,Motivation,Expectation,Competition,Work Ethic,Well Being

There is a consistent debate regarding the academic capabilities, career choices, and decision-making skills of African American male student-athlete (AAMSAs). Many studies highlight race as a direct threat to success and positive social influence at many colleges and universities. In the realm of race, prominent pieces of work (Cunningham &amp; Welty-Peachy, 2010; Donnor, 2005; Edwards, 1975, 1985; Singer, 2005, 2008) have highlighted the image of the AAMSA through a critical, social lens, such as Critical Race Theory, in order to convey detailed images of realities within populations of color. There is also extensive research analyzing the academic motivations, successes, learning potential, intellectual capabilities, and likelihood of attaining learning disabilities of AAMSAs in relation to different student populations. While there are numerous higher education personnel attuned to the literature, many individuals hired in the athletic domain are not well-versed in education, behavioral studies, special education, and health-related fields in order to properly carry theory into practice as they work with AAMSAs. The individuals are not always adept to understand, educate, assess, and diagnose students with educational disabilities or behaviors. Thus, many individuals who work with this population classify them in terms of &quot;at-risk&quot;, having learning disabilities, and having mental health issues (Carrington, 2010; Coakley, 1982; Donnor, 2005; Edwards, 1973; Singer, 2008, 2015). While some diagnoses and situations that students may encounter are valid and understandable, these diagnoses are often fail-safes for individuals who perceive the capabilities and potentials of student athletes through a deficit-oriented lens. As a result, the undesirable societal image of AAMSAs still persists (Donnor, 2005; Donnor &amp; Ladson-Billings, 2017; Singer, 2015). Accordingly, deficit-laden societal frameworks have historically been used to analyze and explain specific populations, such as AAMSAs, in a problem-focused manner, rather than focusing on assets, developmental achievements, and capabilities (Bobo &amp; Charles, 2009; Ladson-Billings, 1998). Deficit-laden frameworks also highlight disguising forces, events, classes, and expressions of social and economic division (Ladson-Billings, 1998). In the case of AAMSAs, deficit-laden societal frameworks only contribute to the existing, deficit-oriented literature. Therefore, the goal of this study, if applied to a societal framework, would be to focus on AAMSAs and the support systems that help them thrive. Decision-making skills and life transitions, if analyzed positively, are associated with motivation and external forces which build and sustain pursuit, well-being, and success. They can be analyzed through theoretical frameworks capturing the psychological aspects of individuals within the sampled population of AAMSAs in order to understand their choices in the quest for success. Therefore, this study focuses on the positive psychological factors associated with the target population in an attempt to break away from research that is problem focused. It also seeks to identify and highlight the influential intrinsic motivators of intercollegiate AAMSAs to obtain professional and graduate degrees.