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Cognitive Factors in Athletic (Swimming) Performance: A Re-Examination
1a University of the Witwatersrand , South Africa.
The Journal of General Psychology
|February 3, 2017
Summary
Self-instruction and arousal strategies did not significantly impact swimmer performance in freestyle time-trials. However, a potential interaction effect was observed in the 50m follow-up trial, suggesting cognitive strategies may be more effective individually.
Area of Science:
- Sports Psychology
- Motor Learning
- Human Performance
Background:
- Cognitive strategies, such as self-instruction and arousal regulation, are often employed to enhance athletic performance.
- Understanding the interplay between cognitive strategies and performance in specific swimming events is crucial for effective training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of self-instruction and arousal strategies on swimmers' performance in 50m and 100m freestyle time-trials.
- To examine these effects at both immediate post-training and delayed follow-up testing sessions.
Main Methods:
- A 2x2 factorial design was utilized with 24 swimmers participating.
- Performance was assessed through 50m and 100m freestyle time-trials.
- Testing occurred immediately post-training and at a follow-up session.
Main Results:
- No significant main effects for self-instruction or arousal strategies were found at either post-training or follow-up.
- No significant interactions between self-instruction and arousal strategies were observed at post-testing.
- A trend towards significance (p = .06) for the self-instruction × arousal interaction was noted in the 50m follow-up trial, but not the 100m trial.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive strategies may have a diminished impact on performance as extraneous variables increase.
- Idiosyncratic cognitive strategies might be more beneficial than group-oriented ones, particularly in later testing phases.
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