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Factors associated with helplessness among Japanese collegiate swimmers
Madoka Yasunaga1, Kimihiro Inomata
1Department of Sport Science, Chukyo University, Japan. y-madoka@cnc.chukyo-u.ac.jp
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|November 25, 2004
Summary
Learned helplessness in athletes is linked to daily life struggles, not just performance. Attributional style for positive events, rather than negative ones, significantly influences performance helplessness in swimmers.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sports Science
- Performance Psychology
Background:
- Learned helplessness is a psychological state where individuals feel unable to influence outcomes.
- Understanding its factors in athletes is crucial for performance and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors contributing to learned helplessness in Japanese collegiate swimmers.
- To explore the relationship between helplessness, performance, and attributional styles.
Main Methods:
- A Sports Attributional Style Scale was administered to 207 collegiate swimmers (135 men, 72 women).
- Participants were categorized into high and low learned helplessness groups.
- Statistical analysis examined correlations between helplessness scores and performance.
Main Results:
- No significant correlation was found between learned helplessness scores and actual performance.
- High learned helplessness scores correlated with helplessness in both competitive and daily life, indicating generalization.
- Performance helplessness was more strongly associated with attributional styles for positive events than negative events.
Conclusions:
- Learned helplessness theory partially explains athlete helplessness, but attributional styles for positive events are also critical.
- Athlete-specific characteristics may necessitate nuanced approaches beyond traditional learned helplessness models.