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Self-talk in a basketball-shooting task
Y Theodorakis1, S Chroni, K Laparidis
1Department of Physical Education & Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece. ytheo@pe.uth.gr
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|April 27, 2001
Summary
Using "relax" as a self-talk cue word significantly improved basketball shooting performance in students. This highlights the importance of task-appropriate self-talk for enhancing athletic skills.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Self-talk is a psychological strategy used to regulate cognition and behavior.
- Its effectiveness can vary depending on the content and the specific task.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of different self-talk cue words on basketball shooting performance.
- To determine if task-appropriate self-talk enhances athletic performance.
Main Methods:
- 60 students were divided into a control group and two self-talk groups.
- The control group received general instructions.
- Treatment groups used cue words 'relax' or 'fast' during a basketball shooting task.
Main Results:
- The group using the cue word 'relax' showed a significant improvement in shooting performance.
- Performance did not significantly improve in the 'fast' cue word group or the control group.
Conclusions:
- Task-appropriate self-talk, specifically using 'relax' for shooting, can significantly enhance performance.
- The content of self-talk is crucial for its effectiveness in sports.