Abstract
The present study examined stress and coping of cricket batsmen during challenge and threat states using the Think-Aloud method. Ten male elite-level junior cricket batsmen took part in the study. A repeated measures design was implemented, with participants verbalizing while both in (a) a threat state and (b) a challenge state. Participants were required to score 36 runs in 30 balls during the threat and challenge conditions. Verbalizations were subsequently transcribed verbatim and analyzed for stressors, coping strategies, and any other reoccurring themes. A paired-samples t-test was conducted to examine differences in the number of verbalizations made for each theme between conditions. Ten secondary themes were grouped into four primary themes; these included (a) stressors, (b) problem-focused coping, (c) emotion-focused coping, and (d) gathering information. There were significant differences( p⩽0.05) between stressor verbalizations, with significantly more verbalizations made by participants during a threat state. No significant differences were found between any other themes. Thus, during a threat state, participants reported significantly more stressor verbalizations compared to a challenge state, while there were no significant differences in coping strategies reported (p>0.05). This finding offers a potential explanation for why athletic performance diminishes when in a threat state, as athletes then experience a greater number of stressors but do not report engaging in more coping strategies.
Highlights
When performing in pressurized environments, athletes commonly experience stress before, during, and sometimes after the event (Moore et al, 2013)
Results from previous CAT studies underpinned by the TCTSA and biopsychosocial model (BPSM) highlight the advantages of collecting physiological data related to challenge and threat states, such as being able to accurately measure heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO) and total peripheral resistance (TPR)
While previous research has provided key findings, such as that challenge states were associated with superior performance and stress and coping occurred as a dynamic process during performance, the present study, aimed to further develop the stress and coping literature by using the BPSM and TCTSA as guiding frameworks
Summary
When performing in pressurized environments, athletes commonly experience stress before, during, and sometimes after the event (Moore et al, 2013). It has been argued that stress is a dynamic and recursive transaction between the demands of a situation and an individual’s resources to manage those demands (Lazarus, 1991). Research has used this model to examine the impact of challenge and threat (CAT) states on the performance of a sporting task (e.g., Moore et al, 2013). The Theory of Challenge and Threat States in Athletes (TCTSA; Jones et al, 2009), which is underpinned by the BPSM, collates physiological and emotional factors underpinning sporting performance. The Evaluative Space Approach to Challenge and Threat (ESACT; Uphill et al, 2019) was prompted by both the BPSM and TCTSA and argued that individuals could be both challenged and threatened
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