Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of motivational self-talk on competitive anxiety and self-compassion. Participants were 44 swimming athletes with competitive experience ranging in age from 18 to 25. The experiment was conducted in five sessions. In the first session, the baseline assessment took place. Participants completed three questionnaires assessing the use of self-talk (Zervas, Stavrou, & Psychountaki, 2007), competitive anxiety levels (Martens, 1977; Zervas & Kakkos, 1990) and self-compassion levels (Neff, 2003b; Mantzios, Wilson, & Giannou, 2013). After the baseline assessment participants were randomly divided and assigned as experimental (N = 23) and control group (N = 21). Participants in the experimental group received a three-sessions training program on motivational self-talk in which they familiarized with its concept and its use. Participants in the control group did not receive any training. In the fifth session the final assessment took place in which the procedure of the baseline assessment was repeated. Results revealed that after the self-talk training program, participants in the experimental group indicated increments in the use of self-talk, as well as reduction in competitive anxiety levels and increases in self-compassion levels, whereas no changes were revealed for the control group. The findings of the study provided further support for the effectiveness of motivational self-talk strategies in generating desired affective states related with the participation in competitive sports. The results are discussed in relation to theory and related studies. Implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Highlights
It is well established that participation in physical activity and sports can enhance well-being and health (Lundqvist, 2011)
Results revealed that after the self-talk training program, participants in the experimental group indicated increments in the use of self-talk, as well as reduction in competitive anxiety levels and increases in self-compassion levels, whereas no changes were revealed for the control group
Self-talk training program had a positive effect on self-talk use, reduced competitive anxiety and increased self-compassion
Summary
It is well established that participation in physical activity and sports can enhance well-being and health (Lundqvist, 2011). Competitive sports are very demanding and characterized by remarkable physical and psychological pressures It has been indicated for many years that psychological factors play an important role in competitive sports and affect performance (Lizuka, 2005). High-level competitive athletes are faced with various difficulties concerning their performance and their psychological well-being (Lundqvist, 2011). Due to this fact, there are many training programs in which sport psychologists implement a variety of cognitive-behavioral strategies with the objective of aiding athletes in the development of psychological skills to enhance performance, manage emotions and achieve personal well-being (Ryska, 1998; Vealey, 2007). One of the most common cognitivebehavioral strategies that have attracted researchers’ attention in the last decades and used by athletes is “self-talk” (Hatzigeorgiadis, Theodorakis, & Zourbanos, 2004)
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