Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Psychological Skills Educational Workshop

1990 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Gould ◽  
Kenneth Hodge ◽  
Linda Petlichkoff ◽  
Jeffery Simons
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Evaluation Research ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Mental Preparation ◽  
Perceived Importance ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Preparation Techniques ◽  
Educational Workshop

The present investigation examined athletes’ responses to a psychological skills training program spanning a 3-month period. Two studies were conducted to evaluate the degree to which a week-long psychological skills training program changed elite wrestlers’ knowledge, perceived importance, and use of relaxation, visualization/imagery, goal setting, and mental preparation techniques. In Study 1, 18 senior elite wrestlers ranging from 17 to 32 years of age participated in a week-long training camp involving a psychological skills training program and completed assessments immediately before and after camp and again 3 months later. Study 2 was identical to Study 1 except that 33 elite junior wrestlers, ages 14 to 18, were studied. Overall, the results demonstrate that the educational program was effective in changing the athletes’ knowledge, perceived importance, and use of the four psychological skills. MANOVA procedures revealed that the relaxation and visualization/imagery portions of the program were particularly effective, perhaps because they were incorporated into actual on-the-mat practice sessions. The importance of conducting evaluation research and methods of facilitating psychological skills development are discussed.

scholarly journals Surgeons' Experience of Learning Psychological Skills: A Preliminary Evaluation of a Psychological Skills Training Course

2009 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Mason ◽  
Selina Balloo ◽  
Dominic Upton ◽  
Kamal Heer ◽  
Phil Higton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Surgical Performance ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
The Impact

INTRODUCTION A range of human factors have been shown to impact on surgical performance although little is known about the impact of training on the views of surgeons towards these factors or how receptive surgeons are to such training. SUBJECTS AND METHODS This was an observational pilot study using a short questionnaire designed to elicit views of surgeons towards a range of human factors prior to, and immediately following, a course designed to address human factors in surgical performance. Focus groups were also conducted before and immediately after the course to elicit views. RESULTS Of all the human factors assessed, decision-making was rated on a visual analogue scale as having the biggest impact on performance both before and after the course. In general, views of human factors changed following the course, most notably an increase in the extent to which work stress, interpersonal difficulties and personality were believed to affect performance. Three themes emerged from the focus groups: (i) personal professional development; (ii) the relationship between trainer and trainee; and (iii) the changing perspective. CONCLUSIONS Surgeons from a range of specialties are receptive to training on the impact of human factors on performance and this study has shown that views may change following a course designed to address this. Further training to address the theory–practice gap is warranted in addition to an evaluation of its effectiveness.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of the Psychological Intervention in Amateur Male Marathon Runners

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose C. Jaenes ◽  
Dominika Wilczyńska ◽  
David Alarcón ◽  
Rafael Peñaloza ◽  
Arturo Casado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Relaxation Techniques ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Marathon Runners ◽  
Before And After

Background: The Marathon runners must have the proper technical preparation to reach excellence and to achieve adequate psychological preparation for the race. Against this background, the current study aims to describe the implementation results of a cognitive-behavioral intervention based on psychological skills training for marathon runners.Methods: Fourteen amateur male marathoners with an average age of 30 (SD = 5.75) were trained with various emotional and cognitive control techniques to enhance their performance in competition. Various psychological variables, related to the subjects level of perceived stress, and to qualitative characteristics of their thoughts were measured before and after the target marathon race. Results were analyzed through non-parametric tests for two related samples. The Cohen's d effect size for single-group pretest-posttest repeated measures were also performed.Results: Statistical analysis reveals that, controlling for age and running experience, the intervention decreased significantly the level of perceived stress and the occurrence of negative thoughts before the race, during, and after the race.Conclusion: Training in cognitive control and relaxation techniques, as part of the psychological skills training could determine the quality of performance of marathon runners.

An Integrated Biofeedback and Psychological Skills Training Program for Canada’s Olympic Short-Track Speedskating Team

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marla K. Beauchamp ◽  
Richard H. Harvey ◽  
Pierre H. Beauchamp
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Olympic Games ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Sport Performance ◽  
Biofeedback Training ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Program Approach

The present article outlines the development and implementation of a multifaceted psychological skills training program for the Canadian National Short Track Speedskating team over a 3-year period leading up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. A program approach was used emphasizing a seven-phase model in an effort to enhance sport performance (Thomas, 1990) in which psychological skills training was integrated with biofeedback training to optimize self-regulation for performance on demand and under pressure. The biofeedback training protocols were adapted from general guidelines described by Wilson, Peper, and Moss (2006) who built on the work of DeMichelis (2007) and the “Mind Room” program approach for enhancing athletic performance. The goal of the program was to prepare the athletes for their best performance under the pressure of the Olympic Games. While causation cannot be implied due to the lack of a control group, the team demonstrated success on both team and individual levels.

Future Directions in Psychological Skills Training

1988 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin S. Vealey
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Evaluation Research ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Specific Implementation

This decade has been marked by the development of several approaches to psychological skills training (PST). To assess current trends in PST in order to ascertain if consumers’ needs are being met, a content analysis of PST approaches published in books in North America between 1980 and 1988 was conducted with regard to target populations, content areas, and format characteristics. Based on the content analysis, six needs representing viable future directions for PST are outlined. These needs include targeting youth and coaches in addition to elite athletes, moving beyond basic education into specific implementation procedures, differentiating between psychological skills and methods, adopting a holistic approach based on the interactional paradigm and a personal development model, defining the practice of sport psychology based on the personal development of sport consumers, and facilitating the theory/practice relationship through research-based PST programming and evaluation research.

The Delivery of a Short-Term Psychological Skills Training Program to College Dance Students: A Pilot Study Examining Coping Skills and Injuries

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 159-166
Author(s):  
Leigh A. Skvarla ◽  
Damien Clement
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Coping Skills ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
The Impact

Dance makes a number of inherent physical and psychosocial demands that can promote resilience. However, dancers may strive to meet those demands by employing unhealthy coping strategies that can be linked to maladaptive thoughts and behaviors and increased injury risk. The present study utilized a two-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design to examine the impact of a psychological skills training program on coping skills and prevalence of injuries over a 6-week period in a convenience sample of college dance students (N = 30). Participants were drawn from the same dance program and were assigned to a control or treatment condition based on their current class schedule. At the end of the study, there were no significant quantitative differences observed between the treatment and control groups. However, mean scores for treatment group participants' coping skills slightly increased over time. A focus group discussion led to several recommendations for future research and programming improvements. Additionally, this study underscores the need for a single operational definition of injury in a college dance context. Best practices for researchers, practitioners, and educators in the context of psychological skills training are also discussed.

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