scholarly journals A Qualitative Exploration of Psychological-Skills Use in Coaches

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard C. Thelwell ◽  
Neil J.V. Weston ◽  
Iain A. Greenlees ◽  
Nicholas V. Hutchings
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
Elite Level ◽  
Skills Use ◽  
Qualitative Exploration

The current study examined whether, where, when, and for what purposes coaches use psychological skills. A total of 13 elite-level coaches completed a structured interview using open-ended questions to examine their use of self-talk, imagery, relaxation, and goal-setting skills. Data were analyzed via deductive content analysis and indicated self-talk and imagery to be cited more frequently than relaxation and goal setting throughout the interviews. In addition, some purposes for using each skill were specific to training or competition across each time frame (before, during, and after), whereas there were several purposes consistent across each environment. Although the findings suggest that coaches employ psychological skills, it is imperative that they become aware of what skills they require and what skills they possess if they are to maximize their use across their wide-ranging coaching roles.

scholarly journals Competitive Performance Effects of Psychological Skill Training for Youth Swimmers

2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (5) ◽  
pp. 886-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Meggs ◽  
Mark A. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Goal Setting ◽  
Swimming Performance ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Competitive Performance ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
Positive Effect

This study assessed the effect of two different psychological methods of skills training—self-talk and goal setting—on the swimming performance of youth swimmers. We allocated a convenience sample of club and county level youth swimmers ( N = 49; Mage = 10.8, SD = 1.25) to one of the three groups: self-talk, goal setting, or a control group engaged in no systematic psychological method of skills training. The groups were balanced in terms of competitive performance ability, age, and gender. Participants in the experimental conditions (self-talk and goal setting) completed a 5-week psychological skills intervention program and were measured on pre- and post-200-m swimming time in competition. After controlling for level of engagement in the program, analysis of covariance revealed a significant omnibus effect ( p = .006, [Formula: see text] = .20) with post hoc pairwise comparisons using magnitude-based statistics demonstrating that goal setting had a small positive effect compared with self-talk ( η2 = .40; ± 0.45). Both self-talk ( η2 = .50; ±0.48) and goal setting ( η2 = .71; ±0.4) showed a small and moderate positive effect, respectively, relative to the control group. A social validation check confirmed that the swimmers found the intervention to be relevant, beneficial, and meaningful for improving performance. Psychological skills training may be effective in improving youth swimming performance; specific mechanisms underlying these benefits need further exploration.

Elite Wheelchair Rugby Players’ Mental Skills and Sport Engagement

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey J. Martin ◽  
Laurie A. Malone
Keyword(s):  
Goal Setting ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Skills ◽  
Descriptive Data ◽  
Disability Sport ◽  
Wheelchair Rugby ◽  
Mental Skill ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
Elite Level ◽  
Rugby Players

Although sport psychologists have started to examine elite disability sport, studies of comprehensive mental skill use are rare. In the current study, we examined multidimensional imagery and self-talk, as well as comprehensive mental skills (i.e., coping with adversity, goal setting, concentration, peaking under pressure, being coachable, confident, and feeling free from worry). In addition to descriptive data, we also were interested in the ability of athlete’s mental skills to predict engagement (e.g., being dedicated). Fourteen elite level wheelchair rugby players from the United States participated, and results indicated that athletes employed most mental skills. We accounted for 50% of the variance in engagement with comprehensive mental skills (β = .72, p = .03) contributing the most to the regression equation, while imagery (β = -.02, p = .94) and self-talk (β = -.00, p = .99) were not significant. Athletes who reported using a host of mental skills (e.g., coping with adversity) also reported being engaged (e.g., dedicated, enthused, committed) to wheelchair rugby. Athletes reporting minimal mental skill use were less engaged.

Psychological Skills Training with Community College Athletes: The UNIFORM Approach

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Horn ◽  
Jenelle N. Gilbert ◽  
Wade Gilbert ◽  
Dawn K. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Transtheoretical Model ◽  
College Athletes ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Decisional Balance ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Uniform Approach ◽  
Self Talk

The present study examined a 10-week psychological skills training (PST) intervention called UNIFORM (Johnson & Gilbert, 2004) with a community college softball team. The intervention was based on the transtheoretical model (Prochaska & Marcus, 1994). Results showed that the athletes learned the skills, enjoyed the intervention, and significantly increased their application of relaxation and goal setting during practice and their application of relaxation, imagery, and self-talk during competition as measured by the Test of Performance Strategies (Thomas, Murphy, & Hardy, 1999). Though there were some positive changes, decisional balance and self-efficacy scores (DB-PST, SE-PST; Leffingwell, Rider, & Williams, 2001) were not statistically significant. The UNIFORM approach enabled community college athletes to learn psychological skills and apply them during practice, competition, and in their everyday lives.

scholarly journals Do Elite Coaches from Disability Sport Use Psychological Techniques to Improve Their Athletes’ Sports Performance?

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tânia Bastos ◽  
Rui Corredeira ◽  
Michel Probst ◽  
António M. Fonseca
Keyword(s):  
Goal Setting ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Sport Performance ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Psychological Preparation ◽  
Disability Sport ◽  
Psychological Techniques ◽  
Self Talk

Goal-setting, imagery, relaxation and self-talk are psychological strategies crucial for successful psychological preparation and consequently for the improvement of the athlete’s sport performance. The coaches have an important role in the implementation of psychological skills training and may contribute to increase the use of psychological strategies by their athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the importance assigned to a group of psychological strategies (i.e., goal-setting, imagery, relaxation and self-talk) and its use in practice and competition setting by top elite coaches from disability sport. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted on ten elite Portuguese coaches. Content analysis was the qualitative methodology used for data analysis. Globally, the coaches acknowledge the importance of all four psychological strategies approached. However, the examination of the coaching routines on the application of psychological strategies suggested an undeveloped use of most of the strategies, specifically in the practice setting. Relaxation and self-talk were the most underused strategies. All the coaches reported the use of goal-setting in both the practice and competition setting. Overall, the present findings raise concerns about the effective contribution of Portuguese elite coaches for the development of successful psychological preparation among athletes with disabilities.

Teaching Sport Psychology for Now and the Future? The Psychological UNIFORM with High School Varsity Athletes

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenelle N. Gilbert ◽  
Stephanie D. Moore-Reed ◽  
Alexandra M. Clifton
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
Varsity Athletes ◽  
Continued Use ◽  
Soccer Team

Adolescent athletes can use psychological skills immediately after being taught, but a dearth of empirical evidence exists regarding whether these skills are maintained over time. A 12-week curriculum (i.e., UNIFORM; Gilbert, 2011) was taught to a high school varsity soccer team with three data collection points: pretest, posttest, 4-week follow-up. Use of several skills was significantly greater posttest compared with pretest as measured by the Test of Performance Strategies (Thomas, Murphy, & Hardy, 1999). Follow-up results were also salient. Relaxation, imagery, and self-talk use in practice was significantly greater than pretest at follow-up; relaxation, imagery, goal setting, and self-talk in competition showed similar results. Descriptive statistics and qualitative data triangulate these results. The UNIFORM curriculum enabled the athletes to use the skills more consistently. This study makes a contribution by measuring the skills at follow-up and providing evidence of their continued use four weeks after the curriculum’s conclusion.

Psychological Skills and Adherence to Rehabilitation after Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie B. Scherzer ◽  
Britton W. Brewer ◽  
Allen E. Cornelius ◽  
Judy L. Van Raalte ◽  
Albert J. Petitpas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Patient Adherence ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Home Exercise ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Objective:To examine the relationship between self-reported use of psychological skills and rehabilitation adherence.Design:Prospective correlational design.Setting:Outpatient physical-therapy clinic specializing in sports medicine.Patients:Fifty-four patients (17 women and 37 men) undergoing rehabilitation after anterior-cruciate-ligament reconstruction.Main Outcome Measures:An abbreviated version of the Sports Injury Survey (Ievleva & Orlick, 1991) was administered approximately 5 weeks after surgery to assess use of goal setting, imagery, and positive self-talk. Four adherence measures were obtained during the remainder of rehabilitation: attendance at rehabilitation sessions, practitioner ratings of patient adherence at rehabilitation sessions, patient self-reports of home exercise completion, and patient self-reports of home cryotherapy completion.Results:Goal setting was positively associated with home exercise completion and practitioner adherence ratings. Positive self-talk was positively correlated with home exercise completion.Conclusions:Use of certain psychological skills might contribute to better adherence to sport-injury rehabilitation protocols.

Psychological Skills for Injury Prevention and Recovery

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
Leilani Madrigal
Keyword(s):  
Goal Setting ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Coping Skills ◽  
Relaxation Techniques ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Attention Focus ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
Injury Research ◽  
Injured Athletes

Psychological skills such as goal setting, imagery, relaxation and self-talk have been used in performance enhancement, emotional regulation, and increasing one’s confidence and/or motivation in sport. These skills can also be applied with athletes during recovery from injury in the rehabilitation setting or in preseason meetings for preventing injury. Research on psychological skill use with athletes has shown that such skills have helped reduce negative psychological outcomes, improve coping skills, and reduce reinjury anxiety (Evans & Hardy, 2002; Johnson, 2000; Mankad & Gordon, 2010). Although research has been limited in psychological skill implementation with injured athletes, these skills can be used when working with injured athletes or in the prevention of injury. Injured athletes may use psychological skills such as setting realistic goals in coming back from injury, imagery to facilitate rehabilitation, and relaxation techniques to deal with pain management. In prevention of injury, the focus is on factors that put an individual at-risk for injury. Thus, teaching strategies of goal setting, imagery, relaxation techniques, and attention/focus can be instrumental in preparing athletes for a healthy season.

Emotional intelligence and psychological skills use among athletes

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Lane ◽  
Richard C. Thelwell ◽  
James Lowther ◽  
Tracey J. Devonport
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Canonical Correlation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Trait Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
Skills Use

Relationships between self-report trait emotional intelligence and psychological skills were investigated. Male athletes (54) completed the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS; Schutte et al., 1998) and the Test of Performance Strategies (TOPS; Thomas, Murphy, & Hardy, 1999). Canonical correlation results suggested psychological skills used in both competition and in practice relate to perceptions of emotional intelligence (Practice: Canonical R = .69, p < .001; Competition: Canonical R = .67, p < .01). Specifically, self-talk, imagery, and activation in both practice and competition were associated with perceptions of the appraisal of others' emotions and the ability to regulate emotions. The direction of relationships showed that individuals reporting frequent use of psychological skills also reported stronger perceptions of emotional intelligence. Future researchers should seek to establish the direction of relationships by investigating whether increased psychological skills use is associated with enhanced emotional intelligence or vice versa.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Exploration of Married Students Attitudes toward Marriage

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-57
Author(s):  
Ali Mohammadi ◽  
Reza Khojastehmehr ◽  
Zabihollah Abbas Pour ◽  
Loghman Tabeh
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Content Analysis Method ◽  
Data Saturation ◽  
Open Coding ◽  
Attitudes Toward Marriage ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Axial Coding ◽  
Married Students ◽  
Qualitative Exploration

The purpose of this paper is to clarify of experience process and formation of the attitudes to marriage in married students. The sample of the study consisted of 18 married students who were selected by purposive sampling. This paper was a qualitative study and content analysis kind. The data was collected by the in-depth and semi-structured interview. When the data reached to the data saturation; after that the data was analyzed by content analysis method. 588 concepts in primary coding, 81 subthemes in open coding, and 15 final and main themes in Axial coding were extracted from the analysis of obtained data. The findings of study showed needing the young men and women to financial and moral supports, supporting of government in cultural and social planning, importance of adherence or weakness toward religious, traditional, and ethnic values in youth's attitude to marriage.International Journal of Life Sciences 10 (1) : 2016; 51-57

scholarly journals What Do Young Athletes Implicitly Understand About Psychological Skills?

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul J. McCarthy ◽  
Marc V. Jones ◽  
Chris G. Harwood ◽  
Steve Olivier
Keyword(s):  
Goal Setting ◽  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Young Athletes ◽  
Youth Athletes ◽  
Progressive Development ◽  
Psychoeducational Programs ◽  
Self Talk ◽  
Older Youth

One reason sport psychologists teach psychological skills is to enhance performance in sport; but the value of psychological skills for young athletes is questionable because of the qualitative and quantitative differences between children and adults in their understanding of abstract concepts such as mental skills. To teach these skills effectively to young athletes, sport psychologists need to appreciate what young athletes implicitly understand about such skills because maturational (e.g., cognitive, social) and environmental (e.g., coaches) factors can influence the progressive development of children and youth. In the present qualitative study, we explored young athletes’ (aged 10–15 years) understanding of four basic psychological skills: goal setting, mental imagery, self-talk, and relaxation. Young athletes (n= 118: 75 males and 43 females) completed an open-ended questionnaire to report their understanding of these four basic psychological skills. Compared with the older youth athletes, the younger youth athletes were less able to explain the meaning of each psychological skill. Goal setting and mental imagery were better understood than self-talk and relaxation. Based on these fndings, sport psychologists should consider adapting interventions and psychoeducational programs to match young athletes’ age and developmental level.

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