Reversal theory is a way of understanding how motivation, emotions, and personality work together. It says that there are different pairs of states that affect how a person thinks and acts (Apter, 2001).
When an athlete feels serious and focused on their goals that is called the “telic state.” Other times, athletes might feel spontaneous and playful, wanting to have fun. This is called the “paratelic state.” There is also the conformist state, where athletes are more agreeable and go along with what others want. There is the negativistic state, where athletes might rebel or do things differently. Then there is the mastery state, where athletes are competitive and want to be in control. The opposite is the sympathy state, where athletes value harmony and cooperation. There are two more states: the autic state, where one is more focused on themselves, and the alloic state, where one cares more about others. These states can change, and they affect how and individual thinks, feels, and acts. Different combinations of states can lead to different emotions, like relaxation, excitement, or anger (Kerr, 1997).
Changes between these states can happen because of things around you, like what you see or experience, or if you feel frustrated or satisfied. The time you spend in each state is called “motivational dominance,” which is like a personality trait.
These states and their combinations are important for understanding how motivation and emotions work in sports and exercise. They have been studied in different areas, like adventure sports, counseling, relationships, and more (Hudson et al., 2016). Reversal theory helps us see the bigger picture of how motivation and emotions play a role in our lives.
Apter, M. J. (Ed.), (2001). Motivational styles in everyday life: A guide to reversal theory. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Hudson, J., Males, J. R., & Kerr, J. H. (2016). Reversal theory-based sport and exercise research: A systematic/narrative review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 27, 168 179.
Kerr, J. H. (1997). Motivation and emotion in sport: Reversal theory. Hove, England: Psychology Press.