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Effects of thought content instructions on swimming performance
The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
|December 1, 1989
Summary
Superior swimmers improved practice performance using specific thought patterns. Task-relevant thinking was most effective, followed by mood and positive thinking, highlighting the value of mental strategies in sports.
Area of Science:
- Sport Psychology
- Motor Learning
- Human Performance
Background:
- Cognitive strategies are increasingly recognized for their role in athletic performance.
- Understanding the impact of different thought patterns on swimmers can optimize training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of three distinct types of thought pattern instructions on the practice performance of age-group swimmers.
- To compare the efficacy of task-relevant, mood, and positive thinking strategies.
Main Methods:
- Superior age-group swimmers participated in two swimming tasks: 40m effort swims and 8x100m repeats.
- A balanced design compared treatment conditions (thought instructions) with a control (normal thinking).
Main Results:
- All participants showed performance improvements in at least two of the three instructed conditions.
- Task-relevant content instructions yielded the greatest performance enhancement.
- Mood and positive thinking instructions also significantly improved performance compared to the control.
Conclusions:
- Mental strategy instructions, particularly task-relevant content, can significantly enhance swimming practice performance.
- The findings support the integration of specific cognitive techniques into athletic training regimens.