Psychological Skills: Relaxation and Self Talk

Question 1

What is (PST)?

Answer 1

Psychological Skills Training

“Systematic and consistent practice of mental or psychological skills for the purpose of enhancing performance, increasing enjoyment, or achieving greater sport and physical activity self- satisfaction”
(Weinberg & Gould, 2015, pp.248)

Question 2

What are the ways that you can distinguish between psychological skills?

Answer 2

Some distinguish between desired outcomes and methods/ techniques (Vealey, 1998)

Others distinguish between basic and advanced psychological skills (Hardy et.al, 1996)

Question 3

Compare basic vs advanced psychological skills?

Answer 3

BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS:
* Relaxation
* Goal setting
* Imagery
* Self-talk

ADVANCED PSYCHOLOGCICAL SKILLS:
* Controlling anxiety
* Optimising self-confidence
* Motivation
* Attention

Question 4

What are the three myths about PST?

Answer 4

PST is only for “problem” athletes
PST is only for elite performers
PST provides “quick fix” solutions

Question 5

What are the linked, separate components of PST?

Answer 5

Multidimensional model
Cognitive (Mental)
* Worry and having negative thoughts
* Somatic (Physical)
* Nervousness & Tension, Increased perspiration,
Pounding heart
* Behavioural (Little Research)
* Tense facial expressions, Changes in communication

Question 6

Define ‘coping”?

Answer 6

= A process of constantly changing cognitive & behavioural efforts to
manage specific external and/or internal demands or conflicts appraised as taxing or exceeding ones resources”
(Lazarus & Folkman, 1984)

Question 7

Define problem focussed coping?

Answer 7

Efforts to manage the problem that is causing stress= information gathering, pre-competition plans, goal setting, time management skills, self-talk.

Question 8

Define emotion focussed coping?

Answer 8

Regulating the emotional responses to the problems that cause stress- mediation, relaxation, wishful thinking, reappraisal, mental and behavioural withdrawal.

Question 9

What’s the Matching Hypothesis within coping?

Answer 9

Anxiety technique should be matches to specific anxiety problem
Cognitive anxiety= mental relaxation

Somatic anxiety= physical relaxation
(e.g., Maynard, Hemmings, & Warwick-Evans, 1995)

Question 10

How can we control anxiety within sport?

Answer 10

Understanding the pressure experience
Constructive interpretation of signals
Adhere to pre-performance routine- Nadal is famous for this
Constructive thinking- perception
Elite vs Non-elite Rugby Players-Psych Skills- elite athletes use more imagery and self-talk than non-elite athletes

Question 11

Define “Relaxation” ?

Answer 11

A strategy used to manage/ reduce stress-related emotions- e.g.: anxiety and anger- and physical symptoms e.g.: physical tension and increased HR.

Ability to control/interpret anxiety discriminates high skills from low skilled performers.

“Relaxed concentration” – feature of peak performance experiences
Relaxation exercises widely used by athletes- good and effective when used correctly
* Often unstructured (Jones & Hardy, 1990)

Question 12

What are some of the main ways to induce relaxation ?

Answer 12

Muscle to mind:
- Progressive muscular relaxation. (Jacobson, 1938)
- Passive PMR (no tensing)
- Differential Relaxation
- Diaphragmatic breathing

Question 13

Explain the concept of Progressive Muscular Relaxation?

Answer 13

Edmund, 1930’s) -progressively tensing and then relaxing specific muscle groups- learn difference between tension and less tension.

Tense (5 secs ), 50% release (5 secs) 100% release (10-15 secs)

-Reducing HR, social anxiety, perceived stress
-Increased-perceived relaxation

Question 14

Explain the concept of Diaphragmatic Breathing?

Answer 14

-Breathe into abdomen and then chest

-Concentrate on filing the lungs by pushing diaphragm down

-Then expand chest and raise chest and shoulders

Question 15

Explain the concept of applied relaxation?

Answer 15

Öst, 1987)
“the purpose of this treatment method is to teach the patient a coping skill which will enable him/her to relax rapidly, in order to counteract, and eventually abort the anxiety reactions altogether.” (p. 397).
31% decrease in somatic anxiety
16% decrease in cognitive anxiety
56% increase in SA direction
24% increase in CA direction

Anywhere between 2-10 seconds- reducing relaxation time from 10-15 mins to 20-30 seconds

Question 16

Explain the concept of self-talk?

Answer 16

Includes:
- Verbal thinking
- Self-communication
- Private/ silent speech
- Verbal mediation
- Self-directed verbalisations
- Internal monologue
A core component of cognitive anxiety

Question 17

Explain the difference between instructional and motivational self talk?

Answer 17

-Instructional self-talk= increases attentional focus on relevant technical aspects of performance- have a set of tasks/ a guide that tells us what to do

-Motivational self-talk= increases effort, enhances confidence and affect responses
Motivational drive – maintaining or increasing drive and effort- “psyching up “keep focused

Question 18

Explain the difference between positive and negative self-talk?

Answer 18

• Positive self-talk – is a form of praise and used to keep one’s focus of attention in the present
• Negative self-talk – a form of criticism, presents barriers to achieving because it is inappropriate, anxiety-provoking, and/or irrational
• It is suggested positive self-talk facilitates performance whereas negative self- talk is debilitating to performance- but can be argued- Elite qualifying divers used less positive self-talk than elite, non-qualifying divers
  (Highlen & Bennett, 1983)
  (negative can serve as a motivational tool)

Question 19

The Framework of Self-Talk?

Answer 19

(Hardy, Oliver and Todd; 2009)
Antecedents: Personal factors (cognitive processing and personality traits)

Situational factors (task difficulty, competitive setting)

SELF TALK

=CONSEQUENCES- cognitive mechanisms, motivational mechanisms, behavioural mechanisms, affectual mechanisms

= SPORTING PERFORMANCE

Question 20

What’s honest self-awareness?

Answer 20

*Athletes need to acknowledge what they are saying to themselves
*What the circumstances are when the self-talk occurs
*What are the consequences of self-talk

Question 21

What are some techniques for controlling self-talk?
Thought stoppage?

Answer 21

Thought stoppage- awareness of unwanted thoughts and use of trigger to interrupt

Question 22

What are some techniques for controlling self-talk?
Countering?

Answer 22

• Countering- build case against the negative statements (Bell, 1983)

Question 23

What are some techniques for controlling self-talk?
Reframing

Answer 23

• Reframing- modify thoughts and self-statements= control internal dialogue

Question 24

What are some techniques for controlling self-talk?
Identify irrational and distorted thinking

Answer 24

Identify irrational and distorted thinking= irrational beliefs= illogical and inconsistent

Question 25

What are some techniques for controlling self-talk?
ABC cognitive restructiurung

Answer 25

ABC cognitive restructuring= Rational Emotive Therapy (Ellis and Dryden, 1987)
* Activating event- e.g.: fouled in tennis in final 10 seconds

• Beliefs or interpretations e.g.: I lost the game for the team
• Consequences- depressed, tensed up ect
• Dispute- rational responses to the automatic thoughts e.g.: “there will be other opportunities”