The equity theory of motivation has received strong support within sport settings; however, research had focused almost solely on relationships in which there is inequity in underpayment but not that of overpayment. Using equity theory, it was argued that athletes attempt to restore equity to a situation of overpayment by increasing their performance, thereby justifying their overpayment. This prediction was supported for major league baseball teams (N=16) moving to a new stadium as performance increased after the move. Discussion focused on the implications of inequity in overpayment for coaches and sport psychologists.
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