Self-presentational effects of self-talk on perceptions of tennis players
Part of : Hellenic journal of psychology ; Vol.3, No.2, 2006, pages 134-149
Issue:
Pages:
134-149
Abstract:
Sport psychologists have suggested that athletes who appear positive and confident totheir opponents may gain a competitive edge (Weinberg & Gould, 2003; Zinsser, Bunker, &Williams, 1998). But are athletes who use positive self-talk actually seen as better competitors thanthose who use other strategies? To explore how athletes using self-talk are perceived, 94undergraduate psychology students were shown segments of tennis matches in which dubbedpositive self-talk, negative self-talk, or no self-talk was audible. An ANOVA conducted onparticipants' ratings of tennis players' ability level indicated a significant main effect for self-talk.Post hoc analyses revealed that players shown with dubbed positive self-talk were perceived to besignificantly better athletes than when those same players were shown playing the same tennispoints with dubbed negative self-talk or with no dubbed self-talk. The results of this study provideempirical support for the contention that observable self-talk has an effect on opponents andhighlight the self-presentational effects of self-talk in sport.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Keywords:
observable self-talk, self-presentation, tennis
Notes:
Περιέχει βιβλιογραφία, Special issue: Self-talk in sport psychology
