Question

Nicola has been playing roller derby for several months now, but she hasn't seen many improvements in her skills lately. She is at the rink three nights a week, but she's starting to feel that there's no point to practicing so hard as it isn't paying off. Given what you know, which of these statements applies to Nicola?

a) She is experiencing a flow state.
b) She is demonstrating intrinsic motivation.
c) She is likely suffering from performance anxiety.
d) She may be facing a plateau in skill development.

Answer 1

Nicola is likely facing a plateau in skill development, a stage where one's improvement slows down despite continued practice. This can lead to diminished intrinsic motivation, and she may need to adjust her practice methods to overcome this and continue improving her roller derby skills.

Step-by-step explanation:

Nicola, who has been playing roller derby for several months, may be experiencing a common phenomenon in skill development known as a plateau. This is a stage where improvements in a skill become less noticeable despite consistent practice.

Nicola's frustration indicates that she is not experiencing a flow state, which is a pleasing sense of complete immersion in an activity that matches one's skills. Instead, it's likely that her continued effort without seeing progress could be diminishing her intrinsic motivation as well.

A plateau often requires a change in practice strategies, seeking feedback, or learning new techniques to break through the stagnation and foster further skill development. It's important for Nicola to recognize this plateau and find strategies to overcome it to make her practice more effective and restore her motivation.