Abstract
The triggers of initial onset of yips symptoms can be broadly divided into psychological and non-psychological factors; however, a trigger-based classification of yips has not been established. This study aims to obtain insight into the prevention of yips by clarifying whether there are differences in symptoms and personality traits according to a trigger-based classification of yips in baseball players. A total of 107 college baseball players responded to a questionnaire assessing the presence or absence of yips and its symptoms. They were classified into the psychologically triggered yips group, the non-psychologically triggered yips group, and the non-yips group based on the presence or absence of yips and the triggers of its initial onset. Additionally, we compared whether personality traits examined by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory differed across these three groups. The psychologically triggered yips group had significantly higher agreeableness scores compared with the non-yips group, whereas the non-psychologically triggered yips group had significantly higher neuroticism scores compared with the psychologically triggered yips group. In the non-psychologically triggered yips group, there was a significantly higher frequency of throwing errors than in the psychologically triggered yips group, with a tendency to develop yips symptoms gradually. Since the trigger-based classification of yips is closely related to the strength of the yips symptoms and the players' personality traits, the results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the symptoms of yips and establishment of the prevention of yips. Large prospective studies are necessary to determine the causal relationship between a trigger-based classification of yips and the personality traits and symptoms of athletes with yips.
Highlights
The “yips” phenomenon is a psycho-neuromuscular disorder characterized by involuntary movements that disrupt the execution of automatic fine motor behavior (Smith et al, 2000; Bawden and Maynard, 2001; Clarke et al, 2015)
The secondary purpose of the current study was to investigate whether the big five personality traits differed according to trigger-based classification of yips using NEO-FFI, which is a reliable index consisting of 12 items per dimension (Costa and McCare, 1992)
The present study focused on triggers of the initial onset of throwing yips in baseball players and divided the triggers into psychological and non-psychological factors
Summary
The “yips” phenomenon is a psycho-neuromuscular disorder characterized by involuntary movements that disrupt the execution of automatic fine motor behavior (Smith et al, 2000; Bawden and Maynard, 2001; Clarke et al, 2015). Smith et al (2003) proposed classifying yips-affected players into two categories based on their symptoms: Players with physical symptoms such as “jerking” or “freezing” were classified as focal dystonia (type I), whereas players with psychological symptoms such as “anxiety” were classified as choking (Type II). This symptombased classification is very beneficial when choosing a treatment for yips. A previous study indicated that 75% of yips-affected golfers began to exhibit the symptoms during a tournament (McDaniel et al, 1989) Psychological factors such as extreme pressure or anxiety might strongly influence the initial onset of yips. The primary purpose of this study was to establish a classification of yips based on the episode that triggered the first appearance of yips symptoms
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