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Self-regulation of sport performance
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|October 1, 1987
Summary
Athletes can improve sport performance by using self-regulation strategies, such as tracking successes during practice or reviewing performance videos. Focusing on failures can hinder progress unless tasks are very simple.
Area of Science:
- Sport Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Self-regulation involves goal-directed behavior without external constraints, crucial for athletes.
- Psychological models of self-regulation offer principles directly applicable to sports.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review key self-regulation concepts relevant to sport psychology.
- To demonstrate the impact of self-regulation on athletic performance.
Main Methods:
- Review of theoretical models of self-regulation.
- Analysis of studies applying self-regulatory concepts to athletes.
- Examination of performance monitoring strategies.
Main Results:
- Tracking successes enhances performance, especially in difficult tasks (low to moderate skill levels).
- Monitoring inadequate performance can be detrimental unless tasks are simple or routine.
- Self-regulatory strategies aid both elite and ordinary athletes.
Conclusions:
- Self-regulation is a vital component of athletic success.
- Specific self-monitoring techniques can be tailored to improve performance based on task difficulty and skill level.