A COMPARISON OF MENTAL STRATEGIES DURING ATHLETIC SKILLS PERFORMANCE
|
Eugenio
A. Peluso ,
Michael J. Ross, Jeffrey D. Gfeller and Donna J. LaVoie |
Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| Received |
|
26 August 2005 |
| Accepted |
|
13
October 2005 |
| Published |
|
01
December 2005 |
©
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2005) 4, 543
- 549
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| ABSTRACT |
| The
current study examined the effects of performance enhancement techniques
(PET's) on motor skill performance. Specifically, one hundred fifty
college student volunteers (Men = 41; 27.3% and Women = 109; 72.6%)
were randomly assigned to one of the nine conditions (Cond): Cond
1 and 2, simultaneous, externally verbalized self-talk or imagery
(e.g., participants were instructed to say "aim, back, birdie"
or engaged in imagery out loud while putting); Cond 3 and 4, delayed
externally verbalized self-talk or imagery (e.g., participants were
instructed to say "aim, back, birdie" or engaged in imagery
out loud before putting); Cond 5 and 6, simultaneous, internally verbalized
self-talk or imagery (e.g., participants were instructed to say "aim,
back, birdie" or engaged in imagery silently to oneself while
putting); Cond 7 and 8, delayed internally verbalized (e.g., participant
were instructed to say "aim, back, birdie" or engaged in
imagery silently to oneself before putting); and Cond 9, no instruction
control group. All participants were asked to perform a golf-putting
task. Results indicated that participants who implemented several
(PET's) increased their putting accuracy across overall difference
score evaluations F (8, 141) = 4.01, p < 0.05 when compared to
a no instruction control condition. Follow-up analyses indicated that
participants who reportedly engaged in ten hours or less of athletic
activities per week preferred self-talk strategies F (2, 119) = 4.38,
p < 0.05 whereas participants who endorsed ten hours or more of
athletic activity per week preferred imagery strategies F (2, 25)
= 5.27, p < 0.05.
KEY
WORDS: Sport psychology, performance enhancement techniques,
self-talk, arousal regulation, mental imagery, attention.
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