Self-talk interventions for athletes: A theoretically grounded approach

Abstract

ABSTRACTSelf-talk has been widely endorsed as a performance enhancement tool in the sport psychology literature. Implementing self-talk interventions successfully, however, requires some understanding of how, when, why, and for whom self-talk interventions are likely to be effective. The purpose of this article is to provide theoretical and empirical information that can help coaches, athletes, and sport psychologists develop and implement effective self-talk interventions. To that end, five key components of the sport-specific model of self-talk that are critical to self-talk interventions are described. Next, decision point questions that can guide the creation of self-talk interventions are presented. Finally, case examples that facilitate application of self-talk theory to practice in sport are provided.