Abstract
Success in most fields depends on both ability and desire. In the classroom, for example, students with a high IQ and a love of learning will excel, while smart students who do not enjoy thinking rarely achieve their full potential. Similarly, the most successful athletes are those with both the physical gifts and the intrinsic motivation needed to drive peak performance.
Using the Reiss Motivation Profile®, we identified five intrinsic motives characteristic of elite college football players. Compared to the general U.S. male population, the athletes were found to attach significantly more importance to being physically active, structured, and self-disciplined — and significantly less importance to the needs for external validation and risk avoidance.
Introduction
The Reiss Motivation Profile® (RMP) is a standardized measure of intrinsic motivation. Developed by Professor Steven Reiss, Ph.D., the test assesses how an individual prioritizes each of 16 basic desires that are deeply rooted in human nature. This prioritization reveals our core values, predicts behavior, and gives rise to our personality traits. In short, the RMP explains why people do what they do.
Over the past three seasons, the RMP has been used to help a National Football League (NFL) team evaluate draft prospects. Based on a comparison of these athletes' RMP scores with those from our database of U.S. males from all walks of life, we were able to identify how elite football players differ motivationally from the general male population.
Methods
We compared the scores of 161 college football players to those of thousands of U.S. males in our database. In particular, we calculated mean differences between the players’ scores on each of the 16 basic desires and those of the U.S. males.
Z-tests and Welch's t-tests were used to determine statistical significance of the mean differences, and Cohen's d was used to measure the effect sizes for the purpose of identifying which differences could be classified as large.
Results
The draft prospects differed in meaningful ways from the U.S. males on five of the 16 intrinsic motives assessed by the RMP. Specifically, the college football players scored
significantly higher on the basic desires for Physical Activity, Order, and Honor. They also scored significantly lower on the motives of Acceptance and Tranquility.
Compared to the U.S. male population, the athletes' mean scores were 9.56, 6.47, and 4.66 points higher for Physical Activity, Order, and Honor, respectively. Further, their mean scores were 7.23 and 4.12 points lower for Acceptance and Tranquility, respectively. For each of these five motives, the difference between the mean scores for the players and the U.S. males had a p value of < 0.0001, a significant difference and an effect size classified as large.
Discussion
Physical Activity, defined as the desire for muscle exercise, was the RMP motive that most strongly discriminated the draft prospects from the U.S. male population. Not surprisingly, the athletes scored much higher on this scale compared to U.S. males. People with a strong need for this basic desire seek an active lifestyle. They have a high energy level, enjoy working out, and may become restless when they are inactive for a period of time. Many of these individuals value physical strength, fitness, vitality, and stamina. Given the rigorous physical demands placed on college football players, it makes sense that only individuals who are highly motivated by muscle exercise would be successful.
Acceptance, the basic desire for positive self-regard, was the motive with the second largest magnitude in differentiating elite college football players from the U.S. male population. In particular, the draft prospects scored much lower on this scale than did the U.S. males. People with a weak need for RMP Acceptance are self-confident, expect to be successful, and give consistent effort. These individuals tend to view setbacks as only temporary obstacles, and they react well to constructive feedback, using the information to improve their performance. They also can cope with criticism from outside sources, rarely allowing such negativity to disrupt their focus. In big-time college football programs, players must be able to overcome the possibility of failure — for example, being demoted from first to second string, or not making the team at all; they must endure being yelled at by coaches; and they must be able to tune out harsh comments by fans and the media. Confident athletes with a strong inner conviction of their self-worth are much more likely to withstand such adversity, compared to those who less secure.
Another motive on which the two groups differed was RMP Order. Compared to U.S. males, the college football players scored significantly higher for the basic desire for structure and stability. A strong need for Order is characteristic of people who enjoy the consistency of following the same routines. These individuals are motivated by activities that bring a desired level of predictability to their lives, and they typically value preparation, planning, and precision. Both college and professional football programs create a highly structured environment for their players. Thus, athletes with a strong desire for Order are likely to thrive in such an environment, while those with an average or weak need may feel frustrated and struggle.
A large magnitude difference also was found for RMP Honor, defined as the desire for upright character. Specifically, the draft prospects scored much higher on this basic desire than did the U.S. males. Self-discipline and loyalty are two characteristics common to people with a strong need for Honor. These individuals resist the temptation to slack off, can maintain effort in the face of adversity, and take pride in their dedication to a team. It is reasonable to assume that the self-discipline and loyalty associated with a strong desire for Honor contribute to the success of elite college football players.
RMP Tranquility, the desire to avoid experiencing anxiety and pain, was found to differentiate the two groups, with the draft prospects scoring much lower compared to the U.S. males. People with a weak need for this basic desire have a high capacity for handling stress, almost never "choke" under pressure, and may even perform exceptionally well in difficult situations. These individuals rarely worry about the possibility of illness and are likely to show the mental toughness needed to overcome an injury. Big-time college football programs often face tough teams and regularly compete for conference and national championships. Further, injuries are common in the sport of football. As a result, players who handle stress particularly well and who are not worried about possible injury are more likely to be able to cope with such pressure.
Conclusion
The current findings suggest the Reiss Motivation Profile® can identify the intrinsic motives important for achieving elite status in football — that is, the college players most likely to find success in the NFL.
