A season-long investigation of competitive cognition in collegiate wrestlers

Recently, Gould, Eklund, and Jackson (1992b) reported the results of an extensive investigation with 1988 U.S. Olympic wrestlers. Examination of retrospective data revealed clear differences in the organization and content of thought during all-time best and Olympic worst performances. However, Gould and associates (1992b) advised caution in the interpretation of their findings because of the investigation's episodic nature and stressed the need for further in-depth exploration. The present investigation addressed this need by collecting qualitative data from six NCAA Division I wrestlers via in-depth retrospective interviews regarding 38 season matches in addition to data regarding all-time best and worst performances. Examination of performance data revealed high, moderate, and low performance quality levels. Observable patterns in the organization and content of competitive thought were identified across these performance levels. These patterns are reminiscent of the findings of Gould et al. (1992b), the results of previous research comparing successful and unsuccessful athletes, and other research examining optimal performance states. As might be anticipated from research comparing elite and less elite athletes, the collegiate athletes differed from Olympians on several accounts.