Stress Responses, Competition, and Free-Throw Performance: The Predicting Role of Other-Approach Goals.

Area of Science:

• Sport Psychology
• Performance Psychology
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Experimental stress paradigms are underutilized in sport psychology due to perceived task irrelevance.
• The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a validated method for inducing acute psychosocial stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of the TSST on the free-throw performance of skilled basketball players.
• To investigate the moderating role of other-approach goals in competition following TSST-induced stress.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) to induce stress in skilled basketball players.
• Compared free-throw performance under two conditions: TSST followed by competition versus TSST followed by a control condition.
• Assessed the influence of other-approach goals on performance in both conditions.

Main Results:

• Free-throw performance declined in the control condition post-TSST.
• Free-throw performance remained stable when TSST was followed by a competition.
• Other-approach goals positively predicted performance in the competition condition but not the control condition.

Conclusions:

• The TSST is a viable experimental stress paradigm for acute stress induction in sport psychology research.
• Competition and other-approach goals can mitigate the negative effects of acute stress on skilled athletes' performance.
• Findings suggest that social-evaluative stress, when coupled with competitive goals, may not impair, and could even support, athletic performance.