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Stress, control, and coping in elite athletes
1Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education, Oslo, Norway.
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
|July 11, 1998
Summary
Elite athletes experience stress primarily before competitions, often due to external distractions and expectations. Problem-focused coping strategies are consistently used, while cognitive defenses appear at different competition phases.
Area of Science:
- Sport Psychology
- Performance Psychology
Background:
- Elite athletes face unique stressors impacting performance.
- Understanding stress and coping mechanisms is crucial for athletic success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore stress dimensions and coping strategies in elite athletes.
- Investigate the relationship between stress timing, type, and performance.
Main Methods:
- Study involved 69 Norwegian Winter Olympic athletes from the 1994 Lillehammer Games.
- Utilized open-ended questions for stress recall and the COPE inventory for coping strategies.
- Assessed stress experiences and coping efforts in relation to competition phases.
Main Results:
- Stress was predominantly experienced pre-competition, with external distractions and expectations as key triggers.
- Coach-related stress impacted athlete control and performance satisfaction.
- Stress type, not timing, significantly affected performance.
- Problem-focused coping was constant; cognitive defense strategies varied with competition phase.
Conclusions:
- Stress type is a critical factor influencing elite athlete performance.
- Athletes employ diverse coping strategies depending on the competitive phase.
- Interventions should address specific stress types and optimize coping strategy application.